Bestiality
by SheeWolf85
Summary: After having broken the rules one too many times, Boss is fed up with Sans. He's given a new job, one he knows is far beneath him. Being the monster under the bed is for pussies. His new charge is Frisk, a young girl who just might need a monster to save her from things far worse than nightmares. A ton of bad things here, folks. Read the warnings in the notes. VERY hard M rating.
1. The Monster Under the Bed

A/N: Hello there! I've been in a bit of a mood lately, and I wanted to write something dark. What you are about to read is dark, violent, bloody, and sexy. It contains child abuse, near rape of a child, graphic descriptions of violence and gore, and all kinds of other nasty shit and triggers galore. Oh, and a LOT of profanity. Like, a shit-ton. But, it also contains a violent monster learning how to be sensitive (kind of), a terrified child learning that not all monsters under the bed are bad, and some kind of romance in a world of hatred.

The world here is what I might describe as HorrorFell. It is neither fully Horrortale nor Underfell, but is kind of a cross between the two? In a way? Paps is Boss. Sans likes to swear a lot, he's damn possessive of what's his, and his condiment of choice is blood. Frisk is but a young'en at first, but she'll grow up. Oh, and she's a girl who falls in love with a monster. Shocking, I know.

I've written a good majority of the story already, so I plan on posting fairly regularly. If you're up for a trip to hell, please enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Bestiality**

 _(Bees-chee-AL-ih-tee)  
_ _Noun. 1-Savagely cruel or depraved behavior; 2-Sexual intercourse between a person and a monster._

* * *

The Monster Under the Bed

" _Now your nightmare comes to life  
_ _You're now a slave  
_ _Until the end of time  
_ _Nothing stops the madness  
_ _Turning, haunting, yearning  
_ _Pull the trigger.  
_ _And it hurts to know  
_ _That you belong here, yeah  
_ _It's your fucking nightmare."  
_ — _Nightmare – Avenged Sevenfold_

* * *

Boss sure knew how to punish him. This new job was humiliating, degrading, and so not worth his time. He could be out there hunting real humans and doing real damage instead of this dumbass shit.

So what if he'd been a little too rough with his past charges? It wasn't like those pathetic excuses for humans didn't deserve it. They deserved worse than what he gave them. In the end, he'd even shown them mercy when he ripped their lungs out and let them die.

Apparently, that wasn't what Boss wanted. Boss had wanted more information out of the shitfaces, and he'd ruined it all by killing them. He'd scoffed, saying he'd done Boss a favor. Boss didn't see it that way.

That was how he'd ended up here, laying down in the too-small space under a child's bed, waiting impatiently for them to go the fuck to bed so he could get working.

Being the monster under the bed was a job for pussies—monsters that didn't have the guts to interrogate or inflict actual pain. Sans had those guts, even if he _was_ a skeleton. Hell, he had the desire, the itch, to hurt and see tears of horror slip down his charge's faces. He was fucking good at his job, when he didn't let the urge for violence take him too far.

Not to mention that he was too fucking big to be a good fit for the job. He managed to make himself small enough to fit under the kid's bed, but the magic he used to do it was slightly painful. He refused to take off his jacket, which just made him even more uncomfortable. Boss had told him that it wouldn't kill him to change his clothes for once in a fucking lifetime, but Sans disagreed. His black jacket, red sweater, black jean shorts, and black hiking boots were his image; he'd gutted a lot of people, making a lot of good memories in the process, in these clothes.

The door to the bedroom opened and Sans watched as two pair of feet walked toward him. One pair was tiny, his charge's feet, while the other was larger. He'd love to reach out and dig a claw into the larger pair. He smiled wickedly to himself as the fantasy played out in his head. The human would scream as blood flooded from the fresh wound.

Then Boss would kick the ever-loving shit out of him again for going against orders. The thought wiped the grin off Sans' face. Fucker.

"Goodnight, Frisk," a human female voice mumbled. "Sleep tight; don't let the bedbugs bite."

Sans chuckled silently; he wasn't a bedbug, but he could bite. He'd like to bite the flesh right off the calves standing in front of his face. The urge to reach forward and dig his claws into warm, human flesh was nearly overpowering. He craved the violence in his soul.

He took a deep breath and remembered what Boss had said: "IF YOU DISOBEY ORDERS AGAIN, YOU MIGHT JUST BECOME MORE DUST ON MY BOOTS." Once again—Fucker.

"Goodnight, Mommy," the small child's voice replied.

The bed springs shifted as the adult human leaned down over the child. Probably a hug. Gross. Eventually, the adult human walked away, flicked the light off, and closed the door behind them.

Sans waited a few moments before getting to work. He took a clawed finger and gently scraped it against the bottom of the bed. He heard the child's gasp and smiled to himself. As good as he was at inflicting pain, he was even better at scaring the living shit out anything. He'd even been known to scare Boss on a few amusing occasions. Granted, those occasions had gotten him beaten nearly to dust, but they had been worth it.

After a few more scrapes, just to get the girl's blood pumping, he stepped it up a notch. He shifted a little, purposely causing the spikes on his belt to scrape across the hardwood floor and pushed up on the bed just enough for her to feel the movement. He couldn't help but feel a bit triumphant when the girl whimpered.

"Mommy!" she cried out, her voice full of tears.

Sans chuckled to himself. Not even ten minutes and she was already calling for her mother. Yeah, he was good.

The door cracked open. "What's wrong?" The adult's voice was not soothing; rather, they sounded irritated.

The child sniffled. "There's something under my bed," they whimpered.

The adult snorted. "Stop being so whiney, Frisk. There's nothing under your bed. You know monsters aren't real. Go to sleep." The door shut resolutely behind the adult.

Sans could feel the tight fear surrounding the child. After a few more scrapes and pushes, he decided he was tired. He settled himself uncomfortably on the floor, facing up at the bottom of the child's mattress, and closed his eyes. His hands crossed together on his broad chest as he sucked in a deep breath and prepared to sleep. He'd done good; the kid would probably have some pretty deep nightmares tonight.

He was woken a few hours later by a terrified, bloodcurdling scream. The bed above him bounced as the child scrambled out of her covers and dropped to the floor. He looked out over the room as she got to her feet and ran for the door, wailing as she ran down the hall. He smirked to himself; he'd caused some good nightmares. Maybe this gig wouldn't be too bad after all.

* * *

By the fifth night, Sans was bored. He'd done everything he could think of that wouldn't actually show himself to scare the child. He was pretty sure she was traumatized now, barely able to sleep in her own bed. The few times she'd gotten brave and looked under the bed, he'd made his magic dark and surround himself so all that showed were his red, glowing eyes. Once or twice he glinted his teeth at her, sharp fangs that promised a world of pain. The sight had caused more screams of terror.

To his surprise, the mother didn't react as soothing as he thought she was supposed to. Instead of coddling the little urchin, the mother told her to grow up and stop being such a wimp. Sans had to agree; the faster this kid grew up, the faster he'd be out of this damn job and back to what he was really good at.

There was untapped potential that Sans really wanted to explore. The most of him that the child had actually seen were his eyes; he wanted to show her more. He wanted to reach up in the middle of the night and grab her foot or pull the covers down or, hell, even scratch her a little. Those things were forbidden by Boss—he could not, under any circumstances, actually show himself. Giving her the glimpse he did of his eyes and teeth was pushing the boundaries of the rules.

Instead of really pushing those boundaries, Sans decided it was better for his physical safety if he stuck to what he'd been doing.

* * *

Nearly three years had passed before anything changed. The now ten-year-old Frisk was suddenly forced to sleep in her own bed more often. The small comforts she'd been getting reduced to mere shouts through the closed door that monsters weren't real and to go the fuck to sleep.

One night, the air in the room seemed far more tense than usual as Frisk changed into her nightclothes. She sniffled, hovering by her dresser, and keeping as far from her bed as possible. Her crying was not the normal scared crying she was prone to; instead, it sounded painful.

Curious, Sans scooted a little closer to the edge of the bed and peeked out. Frisk's top half was bare, her back to him, and he was able to clearly see the bruises that had formed on her shoulders. His brow bones furrowed; who had hurt her?

He ducked back under the bed as she started to turn around. With a deep, resolute breath, she left the room. He heard her talking for a moment before she came back in with an adult following her. Instead of the mother, however, the feet that followed her in were male.

Something dark hung in the air as he tucked her in and hugged her. Sans thought he lingered a little too long, gave too many kisses and spoke too sweetly before finally leaving. After her door shut, Sans listened as she cried again.

Something was wrong; he could feel it in his soul. He didn't try to scare her that night, instead trying to think of who could have hurt her and what was going on with that damn adult male. Why was he feeling territorial over this child? He was only there to scare her, nothing more. He sure as hell didn't give any kind of fucks what happened to her.

Except maybe he did. He hadn't been able to see anyone bleed in years. If anyone was going to hurt this child, it would be him. Nobody would take that shit away from him.


	2. Not All Monsters Are Monsters

Not All Monsters Are Monsters

" _Hey!  
_ _Oh, Mr. Back-Stabbin'-Son-of-a-Bitch  
_ _You're livin' in a world that'll soon be dyin'  
_ _And I know  
_ _Everybody knows you try to be like me  
_ _But even at your best, as a man,  
_ _You couldn't equal half of me."  
_ — _The Enemy – Godsmack_

* * *

Another two weeks passed as confusingly as the first day the male adult had shown up. The child's mother didn't seem interested in putting her to bed anymore; that duty had apparently been relegated to the man. He seemed a little too interested in the job, if anyone cared what Sans thought. He knew humans had been known to snuggle with their children and make them feel safe, but there was nothing comforting in the way this man hugged the child.

One night, after being put to bed, Frisk shocked the shit out of Sans.

"Monster, are you there?" she asked with a whimper.

He didn't dare answer her. If just showing himself was against the rules, he could only imagine how far from okay it would be to talk to her.

"It's okay if you can't talk to me. Will you just make a noise if you're here?"

Was she not afraid of him? Confused again, he scraped a claw down the bottom of her mattress.

"Thank you," she whimpered. "I'm really scared."

Not of him, apparently. The thought angered him. He shifted, pushing up on her bed slightly. He wanted to reclaim her fear.

"My mom's new boyfriend…he's the one that tucks me in now. His name is Daryl. I don't like him." The bed shifted as she turned to her side and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Today he told me I was really pretty, but I didn't like how he said it."

What the fuck was this kid doing? Sans wasn't her friend; he was her monster and it was his job to scare the fuck out of her. In an attempt at getting back to what he was good at, he growled softly.

All he got out of her was a sniffle.

"I know you're supposed to scare me," she mumbled into her pillow, "but I think I'd rather be stuck with you than him. At least you've never touched me."

He'd like to change that. He'd like to drag a claw down her abdomen and watch her guts spill out onto the fucking floor. It had been too long since he'd seen the insides of a human body; he was starting to forget what they looked and tasted like. He craved the look of horror on a human's face as he ripped off various body parts. It was only better when they'd scream in pain and beg him to stop.

He growled again, a little louder this time, and scraped his claws against the floor. He was determined to win back her fear.

"I am afraid," she whimpered. "I'm really afraid, Monster." Her voice shivered, and he delighted in the sound. "But I'm…I can't scream, and I can't go to my mom's bed. I can't go anywhere; I'm stuck in here with a monster that probably wants to hurt me. But please, _please_ …I'm so tired."

Her plea struck a chord somewhere in his soul. With a grumbled sigh and a snarl, he settled himself down for another boring night.

* * *

Sans' days were usually filled with reporting to Boss, checking his inventories, and making a plan for the next night. The kid was too old for nap time, so it was rare to get an opportunity to scare her during the day.

After her supposed conversation with him, however, she started to spend more time in her room. She'd shut the door and color at her desk, trying to ignore the scraping and growling sounds coming from under her bed.

Another two weeks passed that way, with Frisk spending more and more time in her room. Sans was certain that she was becoming immune to every single one of his scare tactics. She didn't even flinch anymore when he pushed up on her bed. He had talked to Boss about it, but he was still forbidden from making his presence visibly known, even just his magic.

It irritated him to no end to know that his charge wasn't afraid of him anymore. In fact, she'd talked to him more and more often as the nights passed. She told him how much she disliked school, how bullies had started to pick on her for her messy hair and outdated clothes, and how Daryl had continued to tell her she was pretty.

The night that everything changed for Sans had started out as a normal night. Daryl had put Frisk to bed, lingering in the hug longer than was truly necessary, and she had cried into her pillow when he left.

Sans made an attempt at scaring her, but she only thanked him for being there so she didn't feel so alone. He grumbled to himself, trying to think of anything else he could do. There simply wasn't anything else aside from speaking or showing her things with magic.

Hours passed. Sans fought back a yawn; he really needed to stay awake and keep thinking of scary things. One day, he'd figure it out.

The clock on Frisk's dresser said it was two in the morning when her door creaked open. Sans heard her gasp and furrowed his brow. Why the fuck was she scared of that but not indiscernible whispers and growls coming from under her bed?

Daryl stumbled slowly and quietly into the room, his feet clad in navy and black plaid slippers. He shut the door behind him and clicked a lock Sans hadn't even known was there into place.

"Are you awake, Frisk?" he asked, his voice slurred. He walked with halted, stumbling steps to her bed.

Sans watched his feet and legs as he moved. Something was really off; his soul held itself tightly with trepidation.

Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, and Frisk whimpered. "It's okay, Frisk," he said softly. "I just can't stop thinking about earlier. You were such a good girl. I want you to be my good girl again."

Sans growled softly to himself. The child's fear was somehow worse that what he had caused in her the first few nights he'd been her monster. This wasn't right; she was his charge for fuck's sake! He should be the one to scare her into tears and whimpers.

"Please," he heard her whine, "I don't want to."

"Now, now," Daryl chided, "bad girls get punished. Do you want me to have to punish you?"

Sans felt the bed shake as she undoubtedly shook her head. "No!"

"Of course you don't. Now come on, then. Be a good girl." He stood up and, facing the bed, dropped his pants.

Sans stared at the pile of fabric at the man's feet for a few long seconds before he could react. No wonder this child wasn't scared of him anymore.

Sans had been known to use sex as a scare tactic before, but it was rare. As much as he liked sex, there were too many willing women around for him to justify raping anyone.

And, as sadistic and cruel as Sans could be, even he wouldn't think of hurting a _kid_ sexually.

That thought, mixed with Sans' possessiveness, made him reach out and grab the man's ankle harshly. His claws dug in, scratching four hard lines across the man's skin.

"What the fuck?!" Daryl all but screamed. He stepped back and looked down at his already bloody foot. "Something just scratched me." He bent down to drunkenly inspect his ankle before feeling around under the bed.

Sans scooted back, away from Daryl's searching fingers, and smiled at the smell of his blood. Oh, he had missed that smell.

Daryl seemed to push the thought away and sat on the bed. "Where were we?" he asked.

Sans decided to use every single one of his scare tactics. He scraped the bed, the floor, and lifted up on the mattress.

Daryl had backed away to Frisk's dresser, wondering aloud what the fuck was going on.

"I don't think my monster likes you," Frisk said.

Sans growled again, a little louder. Something about her claiming him as her monster made his soul clench tighter with possessiveness.

"There's no such thing as monsters," Daryl chided. "I must've drank more than I thought I did."

Sans chuckled darkly, getting a little thrill from watching the man pull up his pants haphazardly and leave the room.

Silence hung in the air for a few minutes. Sans was pleased with himself, although he really wished he could've gutted the man. It would have been nice to feel a human's innards between his phalanges again.

"Thank you, Monster," Frisk said gently.

Sans snorted; he hadn't done any of that for her.

A small hand reached down and touched the floorboards softly. "I know you can't talk to me but thank you. I don't like it when he touches me or makes me kiss him in weird places."

Knowing that tonight wouldn't have been the first time Daryl had abused his charge, Sans growled again and vowed to himself that the human would never touch Frisk again.

Against his better judgement, he reached out a hand and gently stroked a claw along the back of her hand. She gasped but didn't pull her hand back. Instead, she turned her hand around and curled her fingers around his.

"Goodnight, Monster."


	3. Dirty Closets Are Not A Monster's Best

Dirty Closets Are Not A Monster's Best Friend

" _You sealed your demise when you took what was mine  
_ _Don't try and stop me from avenging this world  
_ _No voice to be heard."  
_ — _Waking the Demon – Bullet for My Valentine_

* * *

The next morning, Frisk hummed softly to herself as she got ready for school. Sans listened and kept his eye sockets on the underside of her bed. He didn't like seeing the bruises on her body, so he chose not to look.

When she left to eat breakfast, Sans wriggled his way out from under her bed. He used her absence to look around and figure out new hiding places. He had been told, very specifically, that his place was under her bed. Fuck that, he thought. He could only do so much to the adult fucker who wanted to hurt his charge if he was under the bed.

Her closet was little more than a dent in the wall, but it had a door. It might have worked if it wasn't so packed with shit that he couldn't even fit in.

There was a little bit of room between her dresser and the wall that he could probably fit into if he needed to. Aside from that, the only other place to hide was under her bed. He grumbled to himself as he found a piece of paper and a crayon to write her a note.

 _Clean your fucking room._

He left it on her desk and slid back under her bed when he heard her footsteps approaching. He watched her dig a pair of socks out of her dresser, sit on the bed to put them on, and then slip her feet into her shoes. She stopped by her desk for a moment, and Sans peeked out enough to see her reading his note.

"Is this from you, Monster?" she asked, her voice shaking a little.

He growled his answer.

"Why should you care if my room is dirty?"

How the fuck was he going to answer that? He grumbled and scraped the floor, wishing that speaking to her wouldn't end in his suffering at the hands of Boss.

After a few minutes without an answer, he heard her sigh. "I guess I shouldn't have expected you to say anything. I know you can't talk. I kind of wish you could, though. Knowing you're there is nice sometimes, but even then, I feel lonely. I'll work on my room after school if it will make you happy."

What would make him happy would be ripping Daryl's intestines out and hanging him with them, but that wasn't about to happen any time soon. With a wistful grunt, Sans accepted her plan.

"Goodbye for now, Monster. I can't be late to class."

With that, she left the room.

Sans had planned on spending the day exactly as he usually did when she was in school. He'd started working on a few ideas to scare and possibly hurt Daryl when the door opened unexpectedly. He sank a little further under the bed and watched Daryl's slippered feet shuffle across the floor.

The man dropped to his knees in front of the bed. Sans surrounded himself in magic and made it dark enough to blend in with the shadows. He didn't light his eyes; he didn't want to be seen at all this time.

Daryl grunted as he looked around under the bed. He reached a hand under, and Sans held his breath to resist the urge to bite his fingers off.

"What are you doing?" Frisk's mother asked.

Daryl sat back up and turned toward the door. "Frisk complained of something being under her bed, so I thought I'd check it out."

The woman snorted. "She's been complaining about a monster under her bed for three fucking years, Daryl. There's nothing there. I've checked on numerous occasions, and there's never anything there. The girl is fucking paranoid."

"Candice, I can't just let her fears go unchecked," Daryl said with a clear shot of concern in his voice.

Sans narrowed his eye sockets; Candice didn't know what her boyfriend was doing to her daughter. Maybe he needed to change that.

"Her fears are bullshit, and I won't have you coddling my kid. Come on, get out of her room."

The two adults left, and Sans began to think of ways he could intervene and get the mother involved. At least that way he could end Frisk's physical torture without breaking the rules.

That night, he got a rare opportunity that he'd never thought about taking before. The family of three left the house together to go to dinner. Instead of spending the time still huddled under Frisk's bed, he climbed out and began to explore the house.

He'd never been outside of Frisk's room before. He had expected the house to be in chaos with the way Frisk kept her room and the way her mother treated her. Instead, the rest of the house was spotlessly clean. He found a few closets he could hide in, including one in what looked like Candice's room. He'd scare the woman awake one night and make her realize what was happening to her daughter.

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't work on my room, Monster," Frisk said that evening after she'd been put to bed. "I had so much homework to do, then Daryl decided we had to go out to dinner." She sighed and hung a hand down to the floor. "I'll do it tomorrow, though, I promise."

Sans stared at her hand and grimaced to himself. She was expecting him to reach out to her again. Well, she had another thing coming, because he wasn't going to touch her again until he could cut her open with his claws.

"You are here, aren't you? Are you mad at me?" Her voice was small, scared.

He snorted and scratched the underside of the bed to let her know he was there. He heard her sigh again, only this time it sounded relieved. He frowned to himself; he was supposed to bring her nightmares and terror and so much fear she wet the bed every fucking night. He sure as fuck wasn't supposed to be something that brought her comfort. He growled and pushed up on the bed, scraping a little harder.

"Yes, you're scary. Goodnight, Monster."

The next night, Daryl had been drinking. Sans could smell the alcohol all over him as he tucked Frisk into bed. He wished he could pull the man under the bed and rip his stomach out to get his own fill of the inebriating liquid. He hadn't been drunk in for-fucking-ever, and he missed the lack of inhibitions that let him be a little more violent than usual.

Instead, he watched the man leave the room. Frisk sniffled and turned and cried into her pillow.

"I'm scared, Monster," she whimpered. Her hand reached down to touch the floor.

Sans grunted; he knew Daryl would be coming back at some point during the night.

"Please, don't leave me tonight. I can't go through this alone."

With a roll of his eyes, he reached out and put a claw in her fingers. She gripped tightly and sniffled again.

"Thank you, Monster."

She fell asleep like that. Sans pulled his hand back when she started snoring and easily slipped out from under the bed. She'd cleaned the closet enough that he could fit in it at least, so he pushed himself inside and shut the door.


	4. Naughty Humans Get Hurt

A/N: Holy shit, you guys. The response to this story has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm amazed, to be honest. I didn't realize so many people shared my demented state of mind. Thank you so much to every single reader and reviewer; you guys are the best. Enjoy!

* * *

Naughty Humans Get Hurt

" _Punk ass, are you listening  
_ _Can you hear me or are you deaf and dumb to my language?  
_ _Do the real words seem to hurt you  
_ _Well put 'em up, motherfucker  
_ _You'll feel it  
_ _When I stamp it on your forehead  
_ _So you will never forget  
_ _That you're a reject  
_ _And you're a no one  
_ _And you're nothing  
_ _Little impotent one"  
_ — _Reject – Disturbed_

* * *

The clock on her dresser said one-thirty in the morning when her door swung open. Daryl shut it a little quieter than he'd opened it, but it still slammed shut.

Frisk jumped awake and stared wide-eyed at the drunken adult standing in front of her.

"You've been a naughty girl, Frisk," he attempted to growl. The words were mumbled and slurred together.

Frisk shook her head. "No, I've been good. I've done everything you told me to do."

Daryl clicked his tongue and adjusted his erection in his pants before taking a few steps closer to the child. "You haven't sucked my cock in a couple days. I'd say that's pretty naughty."

Sans growled and scraped his claws against the closet door. Maybe this had been a bad idea; he wanted to rip the man's legs off.

Frisk gasped and sat up, looking over at the closet with wide, terrified eyes. _Yes_ , Sans thought. She should be afraid; he was by far more dangerous to her than this human. This human would never touch her again after tonight.

"Shut up, bitch," Daryl all but shouted. "Nothin's gonna stop us this time. Not your mommy, not your fucking invisible monster, not you…so you're gonna suck my cock, and then I'm gonna fuck that tight pussy."

Sans narrowed his eyes with anger when her fear came from the man again. He growled again when the man's pants dropped and he grabbed his member with one hand. His other hand went to Frisk's hair.

He couldn't watch this. This was an injustice even he couldn't commit. It was about fucking time Daryl got what was coming to him.

Sans slid the closet door open and growled again, this time flaring his blood-red magic. It lit in his left eye and carried over his skull, down his neck and arms, and to his hands.

Both Frisk and Daryl looked over at the closet with wide eyes. The child's pounding heart was like a drug; Sans needed to hear it pound right out of her fucking chest. The tears in her eyes, fresh and fearful from this new terror, made him realize how much he'd missed scaring her. The realization of what Daryl had taken from him sparked his anger anew.

"Get the fuck away from the kid," he growled, low in his chest. "She's _mine_ to break."

Daryl stumbled backward a few steps.

Frisk sobbed and backed up against the wall. "Monster!" she cried out, voice tight and ragged. "Monster, please help me!"

The strangled plea made him stop and look at her. Did she think he was a new monster? He stepped up to her and held out the same claw she'd clung to twice now. "I am your monster," he snarled.

She looked at him with a wet face, tears still streaming down her cheeks, but it was clear she understood when she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his. "That's why you wanted my room clean?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he pulled away and turned his attention to Daryl. The human cowered in the corner, his pants still around his ankles and his erection deflated.

Sans rumbled again and stepped slowly toward the man. He reached out a hand and curled his fingers into claws, gripping Daryl's soul. Daryl was lifted off the ground, shivering and crying. Sans laughed darkly as the man pissed himself.

"You ain't even gonna beg?" Sans asked. "Ain't gonna ask me to spare your pathetic life?"

"Please," Daryl managed to squeak. "Please don't kill me."

Sans barked a laugh. "Kill you? Nah, I ain't gonna kill you. Not right away. I'm gonna do much, much worse." He turned back to Frisk and pointed a clawed finger at her. "I ain't done with you, neither." However, he couldn't do to Daryl what he wanted to do in her room, or even in her presence.

He pulled his arm close to him, causing Daryl to fly across the room and stop next to him. Daryl shrieked and shivered again. With a wink at Frisk, Sans wrapped a hand around Daryl's throat and disappeared.

Frisk looked around the room in shocked amazement. She wiped her face with the backs of her hands and got down on her hands and knees to look under the bed. She believed that the monster she'd seen was her monster, but she had to look. The one she'd seen had been too big to fit under her bed. Maybe he could change his shape?

She wondered for a moment where they had gone. What was her monster going to do to Daryl? She wasn't exactly sure what could be worse than killing him, but she also wasn't sure she wanted to try to imagine the possibilities. She was just happy that he couldn't hurt her again.

She sat back and thought about what had just happened. Her monster could talk after all. She had to admit she liked the gravelly, deep sound of his voice. She wanted to know why he never spoke to her. Whatever his reasons, she was happy to think that maybe they could have real conversations now.

With a sigh, she got up and left the room to get a drink. As she walked into the living room, she saw her mother laying on the couch in a white nightgown. It looked like she'd been drinking; she was sprawled out with her arm and leg hanging off the edge. Frisk passed her quietly, being sure not to make any noise as she got a cup down and poured some juice.

Something didn't feel right to Frisk as she started her way back to her room. She looked at her mom as she moved closer, trying to be as quiet as possible. Something was off. She was too still, Frisk realized. Even drunk, she was fidgety in her sleep.

Frisk sucked in a breath and moved a little closer to her mother. Still she didn't move.

"Mom?" Frisk whispered. No movement.

She could tell now that her chest wasn't moving. Dread began to fill Frisk, starting in her chest and spreading out all the way to her toes.

"Mom?" she repeated, a little louder. "Mom, wake up."

Her eyes filled with tears, although she wasn't sure she understood why. Her whole body was stiff and full of terror unlike anything she'd ever known before. She reached out and shook her mother's shoulder. She didn't respond the right way. Frisk put a hand to her cheek and gasped. Her skin wasn't warm like it should be. It didn't move like normal skin.

Tears spilled from her eyes and clouded her vision as she shook her mother again and cried out to her.

"MOM!" she shrieked, slapping the woman's arm. She fell to her knees and shoved her face into her mother's stomach, bawling.

She didn't know how she knew what was going on. She'd never seen a dead body before, but somehow, she knew her mother was dead.

What she didn't notice, however, were the bruises on her neck.

* * *

Sans dropped the human in his hold unceremoniously to the hard concrete ground. Daryl grunted and made an attempt to get up. Sans let him try. Humans weren't accustomed to teleporting, so it was common for them to be dizzy and unsteady after they experienced it.

"We need to have a talk," Sans started. "You see, that girl is mine to terrorize, and I'm _very_ possessive of what's mine."

Daryl huffed a laugh. "You're not even real. I got some bad drugs."

Sans quirked his mouth and nodded. "Possible, I s'pose. That ain't gonna make what I do t'ya any less real." He reached out and grasped the human's soul again, lifting him into the air and dragging him closer. "Do you know what happens to monsters who hurt children?"

Daryl shook his head. "I'm not a monster."

"Could'a fooled me. Monsters who hurt children, they come to me. I hurt them. I tear 'em apart and make 'em wish they'd never been born. Get where this is goin'?"

"I'm human!" Daryl shouted.

Sans laughed sadistically. "You ain't no human, fucker. You hurt a kid, there ain't nothin' worse than what you are."

"What are you going to do to me?" The man's voice shook as he spoke.

Sans grinned, showing off his sizable fangs and glimmering, gold canine. Instead of answering the question, he shoved the tips of his claws into Daryl's chest. The lights in his eye sockets met Daryl's wide, terrified eyes as his nails began to scrape harshly downward. Daryl screamed in agony, blood oozing from the scratches.

"You screamin' already? Damn, you're weak. We got so much further to go." He lifted his hand to his mouth and made a show of creating a glowing, red tongue to lick the blood off his bones. "That shit tastes good." He had missed the smell and taste of blood.

"SANS!" another voice boomed through the large, empty space.

Sans rolled his eyes and sighed. He thrust his hand forward, causing Daryl to fly and smash against the far wall.

"Stay here," he growled. "And just to make sure you don't try to run…" he flicked his wrist and watched with a satisfied grin as Daryl's legs snapped in half, bending the wrong way at the knees. The answering scream echoed throughout the empty space. "That's better."

"SANS, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? WHY ARE YOU NOT UNDER THE CHILD'S BED DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB?"

"Hey, Boss," Sans said with a deferential smile. "I'll go back. I caught this scumbag hurtin' my charge."

Boss stared down at Sans with a hateful gleam in his sockets. "HURTING YOUR CHARGE HOW?"

"Makin' her suck his cock."

Boss was silent for a second, his sharp brow bones furrowed. "BUT SHE'S A CHILD."

Sans nodded. "Yep, and now he's gonna get his innards beat outta him before I go back and scare my kid."

Boss thought about that for a second before he nodded. "WELL DONE, SANS."

Sans bowed his head in gratitude before he watched Boss leave. Fucker.

Alone again, he turned back to Daryl. The man was crying openly and praying for forgiveness, swearing he'd never hurt anyone again.

"Damage is done, my friend," Sans said as he sauntered up to the man. "You royally fucked up. I ain't been able to do this in a long time, and I missed it. I'm gonna keep you alive as long as I can."

With that, he lifted Daryl up with magic and brought his claws to his stomach, drawing a swirling design in his skin. "Might not be that long."

Daryl whimpered. "Please, I'm so sorry. I won't touch her again."

"You already said that." Sans slid a claw down Daryl's chest, slicing easily through his skin.

"You told me I should beg. I'm begging. What else do you want?"

Sans chuckled and gave the other man a dark grin. "I want you to bleed. And, actually, I didn't say you should beg; I just asked if you were gonna."

"You can't do this to me. I have a family; they'll miss me—they'll wonder where I am and come looking for me."

As Sans pretended to consider the human's words, he dug a claw into his shoulder, smiling as Daryl screamed.

"You don't have a fuckin' clue where you are, do ya?"

He added a finger to the hole he'd created in Daryl's skin, stretching and tearing it open further and deeper into muscle tissue. He watched in delight as blood flowed down the human's pale skin. It really had been far too long.

"I'm…" Daryl looked around as if he might see a familiar landmark. Instead, blackness and cracked concrete surrounded him. "I'm in a building."

Sans snorted and dragged a claw down, opening the wound even further. It now ran from the top of his shoulder down to his armpit. He reached inside, pushing all four fingers to the side, and watched the skin bulge toward the middle of his chest as he explored and dug down to reach bone. He curled one claw under a rib.

"Buddy, you're in hell." He ripped his hand out, smirking as blood spattered his face and Daryl's scream echoed around him.


	5. Monsters Terrorize for life

Monsters Terrorize for Life

" _I am a little more provocative than you might need  
_ _It's your shock and then your horror on which I feed  
_ _So, can you tell me what exactly does freedom mean  
_ _If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be?  
_ _My psychotic mentality is so unique  
_ _I'm one aggressive motherfucker  
_ _Now, wouldn't you say?"  
_ — _Divide – Disturbed_

* * *

Sans was still licking entrails off his fingertips as he teleported back to Frisk's bedroom. He felt more relaxed than he had in ages, his need for blood and carnage finally satiated for a minute.

He stared at the girl's empty bed and growled. She ran the fuck away. She was _his_ fucking charge; she wouldn't get very far. He'd find her, and she'd realize how big of a mistake she'd just made. He sniffed around and followed her scent out of the room.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw at the bottom of the steps. Frisk was hunched over, bawling over the stomach of a dead woman on the couch. His brow bones furrowed as he moved closer to investigate. No wonder Daryl had said her mother couldn't intervene—he'd strangled the life out of her. Sans had to feel a little insulted; didn't the dude have any decency? Strangling was such a… _peaceful_ way to kill someone.

Frisk gasped and looked up when he'd accidentally brushed against her hair. To his surprise, she staggered to her feet and threw her arms around him. She was barely tall enough to reach his ribs, and her arms didn't wrap all the way around him. Her fingers clung to his jacket at his sides.

"Monster!" she cried. "She's dead! My mom is dead!" She wailed into his jacket, her tiny fingers gripping so hard her knuckles were white. "What am I going to do?"

Sans tried to pull back, but it only caused the girl to cling to him tighter. He sighed and tried to push her away with two fingers on her forehead. He tried to be careful and not scratch her too much. She was stronger than he'd given her credit for and simply pushed her face into him further.

He really didn't like this. He tried again to push her away. When that didn't work, he thought about what he was going to do. He could teleport away, but she was determined enough to hang on that she might just teleport with him.

With a disgusted sigh, he picked her up. That time she let go enough to get situated in his arms, then grabbed him again and shoved her face into his shoulder, still crying and sniffling. He could handle the blood and guts he knew was spattered all over him, but the thought of her snot in his jacket made him want to gag. That shit was gross.

She was a lot lighter than he thought she should be. He looked around for somewhere he could set her down. He should probably get her away from her mother's corpse, he thought. That sounded reasonable; most humans didn't like hanging out with dead bodies. He still wavered for a moment, his thinking distracted by her occasional sniffles so close to his face and her arms constricting harder around his neck.

He finally thought of a good place and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He set her down, pried her hands off of him, and pushed her hair out of her soaked face.

"Get some sleep," he told her. "You're going to need it." He told himself he wasn't going to tuck her in. He wasn't her fucking guardian.

She sniffled. "I can't sleep."

"Yes, you can."

"My mom is dead, Monster. Do you know what that feels like?" She sat up and scooted over to push her back against the headboard. "Do monsters even have moms?"

He smirked at her blatant refusal to do what he said. He had to admit she was kinda cute—for a human child. Her mussed-up brown hair was everywhere despite having been put into a pony tail before she went to bed earlier. Her freckled little nose scrunched up as she stared at him, waiting for him to answer her. "Yeah, we got moms. And yeah, I know what it feels like. Hurts like a fuckin' bitch."

She nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest. "What's going to happen?"

Sans shrugged. "Don't got a single clue, Princess. Only thing I know is that you're still my charge, so I go where you go."

Frisk smiled. "At least there's that." She couldn't imagine how he would follow her, but the thought of other people being scared out of their minds by this huge skeleton following her wherever she went was a little amusing.

He frowned. "You shouldn't be happy about that."

"I know, but I am. You're my monster. You're scary and all, but you're still…familiar. Will you still protect me?"

"Ain't nobody gonna hurt you but me."

Her eyebrows knitted together. "But you never hurt me."

"You ain't old enough. We don't hurt kids, we scare 'em." He wasn't sure why he was saying any of this, but it felt nice to talk to her.

She swallowed and looked down into her knees for a long moment. Sans waited for her to think of what she wanted to say in response to his comment. She licked her lips and looked back up at him.

"What will you do to me when I get old enough? Will you kill me?"

Sans flinched. "Not unless you deserve it."

"What is old enough? Like, do I have to be sixteen or something?"

"'S different for every kid." He shrugged.

She nodded. "What if I don't want to be hurt?"

"You ain't got a choice, Princess." He smiled at her, showing off his fangs and golden canine. "Remember, I ain't your friend—I'm a fucking _monster_."

She nodded again and hugged her knees tighter. "What did you do to Daryl?"

"You really don't wanna know."

"Is he dead? Is that why you have blood on your…um…I guess hands? Paws?"

He chuckled. "Hands. And yeah, he's dead." He wiped his hands on his jacket. The blood was already dry but still some was flaked off.

"Good."

They were silent again for a few minutes. Sans knew he was going to get reamed for talking to the kid, but at the moment he didn't care. It wasn't like he was allowed back in his world unless Boss needed him for something anyway. That was rare, so it wasn't likely that Boss would even find out about this for a while.

"Why do you hurt people?" Frisk asked.

"Cuz I'm good at it."

"You're good at other things, too."

Sans chuckled again at her innocence. "Yeah, but nothin' else is quite as nice as seein' the life leave someone's eyes as I squeeze their guts in my hands."

Frisk whimpered, the mental image a little too much for her to handle. Her eyes landed on his hands again. "Is that what you did to Daryl?"

The lights in his sockets snapped to her paled face. "Much worse, Princess."

"So, you _like_ hurting people?"

He nodded and smiled again. "Ain't nothin' else like it."

She shivered and hugged her knees tighter. "But I'm safe until I'm old enough?"

He smirked again. "Seems I found somethin' new to scare you with."

She met his eyes, hers pleading. "I really don't want to be hurt, Monster."

There was something about the way her brown eyes bored into his that struck a chord deep in his soul. He stared into her eyes for a few moments, trying to figure out what it was that affected him, before he realized that he actually _wanted_ to protect her. Something in her eyes made him want to spare her of the pain he'd been looking forward to inflicting on her only moments ago.

He decided it was her youth. "You're safe for now," he conceded. "And my name ain't 'Monster'."

Her brow furrowed. "You have a name?"

He snorted. "'Course I got a name—don't everyone? It's Sans."

"Sans," she repeated, trying it out. "I like it."

It shouldn't have mattered to him, he thought, but somehow his soul fluttered a little lighter at the idea of her liking his name. He decided not to think about that.

"Get some sleep, Princess; you got a big day tomorrow."

Frisk nodded and started to lay down. Sans held the blankets for her and made sure she was covered. He refused to hug her. Instead, he pulled a chunk of hair out of her face with a claw and secured it behind her ear.

"Goodnight, Mons—Sans," she said with a smile.

Without a word, Sans nodded and then slipped under her bed.

As she slept, he thought about what was going to happen. If a monster were orphaned the way she had been, they would be placed with a new monster family. Maybe the same would happen here.

As he ruminated over different possibilities, the same thought kept creeping into his head. What if she ended up with nowhere to go? She was too young to live out on the streets. Human had a bad habit of taking advantage of women on the street, but she was just a kid. He wanted to believe that humans would help her, but given what happened with Daryl, he was almost positive he'd be killing off the male population if she ended up in the streets.

He'd have to do something if humans didn't help her. Monsters had never intervened before; they followed their charges around until they reached their teenage years, then they got a new kid to terrify.

Granted, Sans was new to this job, but he didn't want to leave Frisk. She was his, dammit, and she would be until…he wasn't sure. Maybe one day he wouldn't feel this way. Maybe one day he'd look at her and realize it was time to move on. Until that day came, however, he would be there to make her life a living hell.

* * *

The next morning, Sans helped her call the police to report the death of her mother. He would hide while she dealt with authorities, but he promised her that he would find her no matter where she went. He had meant it to be a threat; she acted more relieved than worried about it.

She was taken to child protective services where she was assigned a foster home until they could determine if she had any living relatives. Her first night there was terrifying, but she took comfort in the scratches and soft growls coming from under her bed.

It only took a few days for her to find out that she had no living relatives. She wasn't surprised; her dad had died in a work accident when she was a baby. Her mother had never talked about anyone and they never went anywhere for the holidays. She had asked how long she'd be in foster care; she was disappointed to find out that she'd be there until she was adopted or she aged out at eighteen.

Daryl was reported missing by his parents. Frisk was interviewed about his disappearance. Without having a chance to talk to Sans beforehand about what she was supposed to say, she told the truth—the monster under her bed had taken him. A search of her old house was conducted, but nothing was found. She finally confessed what the human done to her, and therapists and courts alike decided that she had been delusional that night and didn't know what had happened. Sans convinced her not to argue with that assessment.

Frisk didn't like her foster home. Although she got more attention from her foster parents, they treated her much the same as her mother had—not much more than a mouth to feed. The other children were often getting into trouble and blaming things on her.

It wasn't until her foster mother started beating her that Sans intervened. He spent a night under the foster parents' bed and gave them both the worst nightmares they had ever had. Although a little thrilling to be able to scare someone again, it wasn't nearly the level of violence he had wanted to use after seeing the bruise on Frisk's cheek.

Frisk was soon moved to a different foster home.


	6. Little Girls Are Badass

A/N: So I couldn't find a good quote for this chapter. I have the next few chapters quoted, but after that I kinda stopped. Let me know if it bugs y'all or if you don't care or whatever...

* * *

Little Girls Are Badass

It started out as a normal day. Frisk had celebrated her eleventh birthday just over a month ago and was staying with an elderly foster couple, Mary and George. She was one of only three children in the home and had her own bedroom. Sans was happy about that; it meant he didn't have to be extra careful to keep himself hidden from others in the same room as he tried to scare his charge.

Frisk had gotten up that morning, showered, gotten ready for school, and left. Sans spent the day snooping through her things, reading her diary, and thinking of new and inventive ways to scare her. Now that she'd seen him and knew about his magic, he'd been able to come up with a few new scenarios involving spiders and other things he knew she didn't like.

The day took a drastic turn when she got home from school. He smelled it the instant she walked into the house. He told himself to stay calm; she would tell him what happened, and he would eat some poor bastard's intestines for lunch for hurting her.

She entered her room calmly, almost as if nothing was wrong. She set her backpack down, shut the door, and sat on the edge of her bed for a second before laying down and hugging her pillow.

"Hi, Sans." Her voice even sounded normal.

Sans furrowed his brow bones. What the fuck was going on? Why wasn't she telling him who hurt her? He slipped out from under the bed and brushed off his jacket before patted her legs. She moved them so he could sit next to her.

"Tell me," he said.

She looked over at him. "Hmm?"

"Tell me what happened."

She turned over onto her side and licked her lips. "What do you mean?"

He frowned. "Don't fuck with me, Princess. I can smell the blood. Who hurt you?"

To his surprise, her face turned a bright red. Instead of answering him, she hid her face in her pillow.

"You can smell it?!" Her shrieking voice was muffled against the pillow.

He wasn't sure why she wanted to keep this hidden from him, but he wasn't going to let her get away with that shit. "Yes, now talk to me before I start interrogatin' everyone you've had contact with."

She took a deep breath and looked at him. Her eyes had watered and her lips trembled as she sat up. "Nobody hurt me, Sans."

"Then why you cryin'?"

She sniffled. "Because I'm embarrassed! I can't believe you can smell this." She brought her legs up and hugged them to her chest.

"It's blood, sweetheart; of course I can smell it. Why you bleedin' if no one hurtcha?"

She looked up at him shamefully and sucked in a deep breath. "How much do you know about humans…um…like our cycles?"

His brow bones furrowed. "What cycles?" He could think of a few different types of cycles, but he was pretty sure she didn't mean any of them. She wasn't a werewolf and she wasn't trying out for any races that he knew of.

She huffed and looked down into her knees for a moment, gathering her courage. "Our…reproductive cycles."

"You're a kid. You ain't reproducin' any time soon." The thought kind of wanted to make him gag.

She smiled. "No, I'm not, but my body has decided I'm old enough. See, when girls reach an age that we're physically able to carry children, we start what's called a menstrual cycle."

He stared at her blankly, trying to wrap his head around the fact that mother nature actually thought his little girl was old enough to have a kid of her own. That was fucked up.

"Not sure how that relates to you bleedin'."

"I got a big presentation about it from my principal today after I started. I freaked out, thinking I was going to die right there in the bathroom, so they decided I didn't need to wait for maturation class to learn about periods." She sniffled and laid her head down on her knees. "Apparently, when we start menstruation cycles and we're not pregnant, our bodies expel all the blood and tissue that it had built up in preparation for the baby."

Sans grimaced. "So you're pushin' out baby padding?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess."

"How long's it last? Will you be done soon, cuz I don't like smelling this on you."

"No, they said it can last from three days to a week."

Jesus Christ. "But after that, you're done?"

"God, I wish. No, I have to go through this every month."

He nearly choked. "Every fucking month?"

She nodded against her knees. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt right now, but they said I'll start getting cramps soon. Maybe next month."

"Fucking Christ, Princess. Don't never let anyone tell you that you ain't fuckin' hardcore. Fuckin' bleeding for a week out of every goddamn month just cuz you ain't having a baby. That shit's intense as fuck."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Sans." She reached out and took his hand, squeezing his claws in her fingers.

He looked down at her, confused. "For what?"

"For not telling me I'm weak. I cried so hard when I found out what was going on. When one of my classmates found out, he said I was a weak little girl."

He couldn't stop from growling if he wanted to. "You tell him to try bleedin' for a week and not dyin'. See how he likes that shit." He shook his head again. "Every fucking month," he muttered under his breath.

Frisk smiled and squeezed his hand again. They sat together like that for a while until Mary came to get Frisk for dinner.

* * *

Sans looked up at the bottom of Frisk's bed, waiting for her to get home. He closed his eyes and thought about what he was going to have to do. He didn't like it. He'd grown accustomed to talking to her when she was alone, helping her with her homework, and even allowing her to be soothed by his presence when she was sad.

Boss didn't like what seemed to be developing between Sans and the child, and he'd shown it with his fists. Sans was to stop being her friend and go back to being a monster. If he were to get attached, it would be harder to leave when she got older. Sans knew this, but he still felt like everything would be okay. He hadn't told Boss that he wouldn't leave her until he felt good and ready to leave her.

All the same, Sans didn't want Boss to do what he'd promised and assign another monster to her. He knew she wouldn't understand regardless of whether he was replaced or simply stopped talking to her. Either way, it felt like he was betraying her.

"Goodnight, Frisk," Mary said as she walked into the room behind the kid. "Sleep well."

Frisk, now twelve years old, climbed into bed and hugged the woman before shifting and covering herself. Mary turned the light off and closed the door.

They were both silent for a few minutes. Sans thought about getting to work, but he just couldn't. she'd try to talk to him, and he'd have to pretend he couldn't hear her.

Twenty minutes passed. Her bedsprings squeaked a few times as she squirmed. Her small hand reached down and touched the carpet. Sans looked at her fingers, and his own claws twitched with the desire to touch her. There could be no more of that, he told himself.

"Sans?" her soft voice called out.

He closed his eyes again and sucked in a deep breath. His claws itched to scratch the underside of her mattress to let her know he was there.

"Sans, I know you're there. I can hear you breathing."

Fuck. For good measure, he held his breath. Although uncomfortable, he didn't need the air.

"Is everything okay?" The bed squeaked again as she turned and leaned over, her head joining her hand on the floor. Her hair fanned out on the floor as blood rushed to her head and made her cheeks flush. "Why are you being so quiet?"

Sans made an attempt at covering himself with magic, but his soul was still trying to heal his wounds from Boss. The use of magic hurt in his soul. With a sigh, he looked over to see her staring at him. He didn't move to reach out.

Frisk sighed and pulled back. He made the mistake of hoping she would just go to sleep. Instead, the bed bounced and creaked as she scooted to the edge and dropped to the floor. She laid down and started sliding under the bed.

Sans' brow bones furrowed. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"I feel like something's wrong," she explained, scooting up close to him. "Are you okay?"

He just stared at her.

As he gaped at her, Frisk looked him over. Her face scrunched in worry at the sight of cracks and deep scratches in his skull. Her fingers reached out to trace one.

"What happened?"

Sans tried to pull back, but she chased him. He wrapped a hand around her wrist to push her back. "Stop it."

She huffed. "Sans, what happened? I can tell you're hurt."

"I'm fine. You should go to bed."

She quirked her mouth and furrowed her brow. "I can't go to sleep without my monster scaring me first. Tell me what happened."

He growled softly. "None of your fucking business."

"I think it is my business, since you're so hurt you can't scare me." She reached out with her unbound hand and traced another crack, this one below his sharp fangs.

He fought the urge to bite her. He knew he'd regret it. "Not that I _can't_ scare ya, sweetheart; I just don't want to." Whatever gets you through the night, he told himself.

"Do you want to know what really _does_ scare me?" she asked, her fingers lingering on his jaw.

"What?"

"The idea that something can do this to you. You're so…I mean, what kind of monsters are out there when even _you_ can be hurt?"

He chuckled darkly. "Yeah, you don't wanna know. I'm one of the worst there is, though. Boss doesn't like me talkin' to ya." Fucking hell—he shouldn't have said that.

She pursed her lips. "But you're still doing it."

"You cornered me."

She tugged on her hand that he was still holding. He let go and sighed deeply as she reached up and touched him again.

"I'm sorry, Sans."

His brow bones furrowed. "Why the fuck you sorry?"

"Because you're hurt. Sometimes my mom would sing to me when I was hurt. Do you want me to sing to you?"

He grimaced. "Fuck no." He really didn't like how mushy she was being. "I'll be healed just fine by tomorrow morning. Go to sleep, Princess."

Frisk squirmed a little closer, her face pressing toward his. He watched her carefully, not sure what the fuck she was doing. He pulled back sharply when her lips pressed against the crack under his right eye.

"Don't fuckin' do that again," he warned, his magic flaring in his eye sockets.

She stared at him with wide eyes for a moment before she pulled back. "Sorry."

He took a deep breath and tried to reason with himself that she was a kid—she still believed that kisses healed wounds. "Go to bed."

After another sigh, she nodded and squirmed out from under the bed. The mattress squeaked as she climbed up and covered herself.

Soon enough she was snoring. Sans spent the night staring up at her mattress and thinking about the comfort she tried to offer him. It was weird, and he really didn't like it. All the same, some part of his soul resonated with happiness at the idea that she even wanted to try.

Fuck what Boss wanted, he thought. He'd stand up for himself the next time Boss wanted to tell him how to do his job. It wasn't his fault the fucker had put him here to begin with.


	7. Monsters Are Not Huggers

Monsters Are Not Huggers

" _Did you think it's cool to walk right up  
_ _To take my life and fuck it up  
_ _Well did you?  
_ _Well did you?  
_ _I see hell in your eyes  
_ _Taken in by surprise  
_ _Touching you makes me feel alive  
_ _Touching you makes me die inside."  
_ — _Slept So Long – KoRn_

As time and foster homes passed, Frisk was labeled a problem child. Although she did what she was told to do and hardly ever complained, she was nearly constant fresh meat in foster homes. The other, more acclimated children would break the rules and blame the outcome on her, and she would undoubtedly get the brunt of the punishment.

Sans didn't stand for that for long. If he thought he'd been possessive over her because of one man, then he was not prepared for how he felt when several children ganged up on her. He had nearly showed himself one night when the small group of kids teased her relentlessly. Frisk had run toward the sounds of growls and horrifying groans, so thankful that her monster was there to protect her.

After that night, she became known as the haunted child. The other kids stayed away from her, too afraid of angering whatever ghost she had under her control. She didn't bother to correct them.

* * *

To some of the other kids in the foster home, Frisk was a strange child who sometimes like to crawl under the bed at night. Some believed that there really was a ghost or monster under there with her while others just thought she was messed up in the head.

Sans never let her sleep under the bed. Not only did he not want her that close to him, he knew it wasn't comfortable for her. He'd allow her to be under with him when she had something she needed to tell him or if she was scared of something other than him, but only for a little while. Eventually he'd remind her that he was the only thing that would ever hurt her again, and she'd calm down enough to go back to bed.

One night after everyone was put to bed, he heard her crying. Her tears were usually followed by a visit under the bed. Instead of making any noise, he just waited. He could tell she was fighting sleep, making small noises to keep herself awake until the other kids in the room were asleep.

Two hours later, the thirteen-year-old finally slipped off her bed and crawled under.

Sans furrowed his brow bones—she wasn't alone. She was carting something stuffed with her. She'd had several stuffed animals in the past, some that were supposedly there to protect her from him, but she'd never brought them with her or even made any indication that she cared for them.

He pushed himself back when she got a little too close. He still didn't like her proximity or her touch.

Frisk sniffled and hugged the stuffed thing to her chest. "Hi, Sans," she whispered.

"'Sup."

"We had this activity today; it was really fun. We made teddy bears, like from scratch. We sewed them together and everything." She squeezed what he assumed was her bear tighter. "I got in trouble for mine. They tried to take it away."

He was about to ask why when she held it out. He took it from her carefully, making sure he didn't tear it with his claws.

To say the thing was ugly was an understatement. It looked like she'd used three different types of fabric for the outer fur; burlap served as its head, long brown furry fabric for its torso, and black velvet for its limbs. Its ears weren't even really ears; they were more stubs that almost resembled horns on its head. The eyes were black buttons, but something about the way they were sewn in crookedly and with thick, red yarn made them seem slightly demonic. There was no nose, and the mouth was wide with felt teeth sewn in as fangs.

He was surprised to see the left canine had been painted gold.

The body was under-stuffed, creating a slouched and pathetic appearance. Along the front of the body was a series of thick, black 'X's meant to be a stitched-up scar. He noticed it had red stains along the length of it. The arms and legs were too long, resembling tentacles more than actual limbs.

He smiled at her. "I think you did a good job."

"I made it scary because you're scary."

The lights in his eyes met hers. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I wanted something to hug since I can't hug you. I was told it would be taken away tomorrow, so I can't keep it. Will you keep it safe?"

He smirked at her. "'Course I will, Princess."

* * *

Sans panted, resting against his restraints. His arms were held above his head and his feet barely touched the ground, causing him to dangle helplessly as Boss walked in a slow circle around him.

"Never knew you felt this way about me, Boss," Sans joked.

Boss growled and threw a fist into the middle of Sans' back. "THIS IS NO TIME FOR YOUR DISGUSTING HUMOR," he hollered. "WHEN WILL YOU LEARN YOUR FUCKING LESSON?"

Sans chuckled. "I can't say that's even possible at this point."

"WHEN I TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A NEW CHILD, YOU WILL GLADLY ACCEPT THAT NEW ASSIGNMENT AND DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!"

"Ain't my style, Boss."

Another punch, this one causing a new crack in Sans' left scapula. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?"

Sans attempted a shrug but wasn't able to pull it off. "Guess I'm gifted like that. 'Sides, she's still got a few years in her."

Frisk was only thirteen years old; some monsters had been known to stay with their charges until their early twenties. Granted, Frisk was anything but scared of monsters now, and there was no real reason for him to stay with her.

"I'LL ASSIGN SOMEONE ELSE TO HER THEN."

Sans growled. "And I'll fucking hunt them down and dust them. Every single one you try to put on her. If there's anything I'm good at, Boss, it's breaking the fucking rules."

"WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT HER?"

"I don't fucking know! All I know is she's my fucking human and ain't no one else gonna get to her. I'll abandon my future charges. I'll break every goddamn rule you have."

Boss sighed in frustration. "NOT IF I KILL YOU FIRST."

"Yeah, there's that, but what if I promised I'd behave if you give me this? What would it really hurt, Boss? She's just one fucking girl, and all I'm askin' is to stay with her. Ain't like we get nothin' outta this whole scarin' kids shit."

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'D TRUST A PROMISE YOU MAKE?"

Sans tried to turn so he could see the other skeleton. "Normally I'd say not to trust a single fucking thing I say, but this time I got somethin' to lose." He managed to get Boss in his peripheral. "'Sides, you want me to stop pissin' you off, right? Just give me what I want."

Boss walked around to Sans' front and hit him square in the jaw. Sans was pushed backward, the chains that bound him rattling with the movement.

"IF I GIVE YOU THIS, YOU'LL ONLY ASK FOR MORE."

"Bullshit. You think I like this shit?" He gestured to the chains. "I dish the fucking pain, I don't take it. You give me this, and when I'm done with the girl I'll gladly move on to another kid."

"HOW LONG WILL THAT BE?"

"Fuck if I know. Could be months, could be years. If I knew why I feel the way I do, maybe I could give you a better answer. I don't, so you get what I give ya."

Boss thought about it for a second. He grinned and stepped up to Sans, gripping his jaw in his claws.

"WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH HER, YOU WILL KILL HER."

Sans swallowed. His soul clenched painfully at the idea of killing Frisk. He forced himself to believe that when this damn obsession was over he wouldn't care. At least Boss wanted Sans to do it instead of asking to do it himself.

"Deal."

Boss stepped back and sent a pulse of magic to unlock the chains. Sans fell to the ground in a heap, carefully moving his joints to test them out.

"DON'T SAY I NEVER DID ANYTHING FOR YOU."

Sans snorted. "Sure thing, Boss." Fucker.

* * *

Frisk was sixteen when it happened.

Sans was lounging in her closet, her bed being one with drawers under it instead of room for him. She had offered to ask for a different bed, but he was fine with the closet. It was big enough that he could lay down if he really wanted to, and he didn't have to use any shrinking magic to make it happen. The only trouble was that she shared it with two other girls. Keeping himself hidden from them was difficult, especially when he'd try a new scare tactic at night. Somehow, they made it work.

It was midday—Frisk would be home from school soon. He had thought of a new thing to try with her. It was going to be good. She wasn't afraid of normal girly things like spiders or weird noises coming from nowhere, so he found something fresh. She was deathly afraid of witches and demons, the emptiness of life, and living without him.

The front door opened and slammed shut before the shouting started. Sans sighed to himself; this was a near daily occurrence. Her current foster parents had already learned to keep their hands to themselves, but it appeared they still liked to yell and accuse her of shit she'd never do.

The other two girls were nearly always three hours later getting home than Frisk was. Frisk shut her bedroom door quietly and dropped her bookbag on the floor before all but collapsing on the bed. She sniffled and sucked in a deep breath.

"Hi, Sans," she whimpered. "Today sucked."

He didn't respond. He'd already pushed himself as far back into the closet as he could make himself go. He listened as she described all the ways in which the day had sucked. One of her teachers had yelled at her for missing an assignment, she'd nearly gotten sent to the principal's office for talking back, and she was blamed—once again—for taking food from the kitchen. She hadn't touched anything in the kitchen.

They both sat in silence for a while. He wished he could see her face as she wondered why he wasn't making any noise. He could feel the confusion in her soul as he heard her shift on the bed.

"Sans?"

Still he made no noise. Her heart rate began to pick up. _Yes_.

"Please say something, Sans? Or do something so I know you're there."

Still silence.

He closed his eyes and relished in the wave of terror that flooded from her. At the same time, a small pinprick of something unpleasant pinched his soul.

She got up off the bed and opened the closet door. Sans covered himself in magic, making himself dark and nearly invisible among the shadows.

"God…" she whispered, her breath shaking as she searched through the clothes hanging in front of her. "Please, Sans? You promised you wouldn't leave me."

The waver in her voice caught something unexpected in his soul. It tugged tightly and made him show himself.

Frisk looked at him, relief and leftover terror in her wide, teary eyes.

He grinned darkly, sparking his gold canine at her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Fuck you, too," she snapped. She shut the door hard and left the room.

Sans snickered to himself. While he wished he could have kept up the charade for longer, he delighted in knowing that he could still scare her.

He hadn't expected anything else to happen until she went to bed.

He sure as hell didn't expect to feel her heartrate spike two hours later or smell a rush of fear that nearly overpowered him. Someone was scaring his Frisk in a way that rivaled his ability. He growled to himself and listened to find out which room she was in. He teleported to the closet in that room.

"Come on, Frisk," a seventeen-year-old boy groaned, his arm around her shoulders. "It's not like I'm asking you to fuck me."

"I don't want to," Frisk said, her voice giving away that she'd already said it once before.

Sans narrowed his eye sockets and barely managed to stop himself from bursting out of the closet. Instead, he scratched lightly to let her know that he was there.

Frisk's heart immediately calmed down when she heard the familiar scratch. She shook her head again and pulled away, standing up.

"I'm really serious, Kalvin; I don't want to touch any part of you, especially not that."

Kalvin huffed and stood up next to her. "You're such a fuckin' cock-tease! Why do you wear shit like that if you don't want to fuck?" He reached out and grabbed her bare shoulder.

Frisk tried to pull back, but his grip was too tight. "I wear what I want to wear, asshole." The shirt she wore wasn't provocative; it simply sat low on her shoulders. It wasn't her fault she had big boobs.

"I tell you that you make my cock hard, and you don't even bat an eye. If I say I want you to suck my cock, you'll suck my _fucking_ cock."

Sans growled loudly, this situation far too familiar for his liking.

"What was that?"

Frisk smiled. "Haven't you heard about me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "I'm the haunted girl."

Kalvin snorted. "That shit ain't real."

Sans pushed the closet door open slowly, a steady growl rumbling from his chest as he stepped out. His magic roared to life, lighting his eyes on fire.

"Get away from her," he snarled.

Frisk managed to step away from the offending boy and ran over to Sans. She gripped his jacket and half hid herself behind his shoulder.

He reached out with his left hand curled into claws and gripped Kalvin's soul, lifting him off the ground.

"Sans, don't," Frisk pleaded, tugging at his jacket. "He didn't really do anything; don't hurt him."

Sans looked down at her and sighed before dropping the boy.

"Touch her again and I'll rip your fucking guts out," Sans warned. He wrapped an arm around Frisk and disappeared.

Frisk clung harder to his jacket as they appeared back in her room. Her breathing was erratic and her heart nearly beating out of her chest. It only took a moment for her to recuperate. She had only teleported with him twice before; she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to it.

Sans held her steady as she walked to her bed to sit down. He sat next to her, his hand on her back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I thought I was done with that shit." She sniffled and swiped tears off her face. "I mean, after everything you have done to me, I thought I couldn't even get scared anymore. Then you pulled that stupid fucking stunt and Kalvin did what he did…I feel like I'm ten years old again."

She leaned into him, gripping his jacket once more and nuzzling her face against its smooth texture. "I really thought you were gone."

Sans sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. His claws dug into her arm gently as he squeezed her to him. "If I told ya once, I told ya a hundred times—I ain't leavin' you. I just had to scare ya. It's my job."

She snuggled into him a little closer and nodded. "I know, but it was more than scary, Sans. It actually hurt me to think that you were gone."

The thought of causing her pain should have excited him. Instead, shame made his soul heavy. He frowned; this was unexpected. He sure as fuck wasn't going to apologize for it. Instead, his arm tugged her a little tighter.

"Is this what you meant when you said you'd hurt me when I got old enough?" She nuzzled her face against him again, relishing in the comforting warmth of his arm around her.

Sans cleared his throat. "No. What we got is a bit more than what I planned it to be, Princess."

She looked up that time, meeting the lights in his eye sockets. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't wanna see you bleed. Anyone who touches you, however…well, I wanna see their insides on their outsides." He smirked.

She smiled and put her head back down on his chest. "Thank you for protecting me."

He chuckled and rubbed his hand down her arm to her elbow then back up to her shoulder. "Guess I'm your fucking bodyguard, huh?"

"You're a lot of things to me, Sans. I'm grateful that I got you as my monster when I was little." She wrapped her arms around his chest and squeezed tightly.

"Whoa, hey!" He pushed her back and stood up. "No hugging."

She smiled and stood beside him. "You hugged me first."

"I sure as fuck did not. That was…that was…" he didn't know what to say. It was a fucking hug. He sighed and rubbed his nasal ridge.

"That was a hug," she sang, a smile wide on her face. "Was that your first ever hug?" she asked, a mock gasp in her voice.

"It'll never happen again, Princess; don't get your panties in a bunch." He turned toward the door. "'Sides, your roomies are home." He reached out and lightly dragged a claw down her cheek. "See you after the sun goes down."

With that, he stepped into the closet and shut it behind himself.


	8. Drugs Are Bad, Mmmkay?

A/N: A brief warning for this chapter as I didn't mention these specific triggers in the first chapter - Frisk is technically underage when it comes to using drugs (assuming they're somewhere equivalent to the US, which the age is 19 or 21 depending on the drug. I'm pretty sure there's not an age for this one, tho, hehehe). Hallucinations, terror, bad times, etc. If you're sensitive to that kind of thing...you're probably not even reading this story, but hey. Gotta warn y'all anyhow.

* * *

Drugs Are Bad, Mmmkay?

" _I'm frightened by what I see  
_ _But somehow, I know  
_ _There's much more to come  
_ _Immobilized by my fear  
_ _And soon to be  
_ _Blinded by tears  
_ _I can stop the pain  
_ _If I will it all away.  
_ _Fallen angels at my feet  
_ _Whispered voices at my ear  
_ _Death before my eyes  
_ _Lying next to me, I fear."  
_ — _Whisper – Evanescence_

* * *

When Frisk was eighteen, she was released from foster care. She managed to find a place to stay with a few roommates who aged out along with her. Sans helped her prepare for job interviews, helped her save up some money to rent an apartment by not letting her spend any on shit she didn't need—he'd even gone so far as to hide money from her when he thought she was being irresponsible with it.

The one and only time she tried to do something illegal to get money, he'd scared the shit out of her for being so fucking stupid.

"What do you even care if I get arrested, huh?" she shouted at him, not caring if her roommates could hear her. Her bedroom door was shut and locked, and it wasn't like they cared what she did anyway. They all knew she was fucked in the head and talked to herself often.

Sans growled and gripped the small bag of pills tighter in his fist. "Maybe I know you'll get hurt, and I won't be able to do a fucking thing about it."

She laughed. "Aw, you _do_ care about me. For some reason, I thought all you wanted was to scare me."

"I care about who hurts you, ya fucking bitch. _I'm_ the only motherfucker who will ever lay a hand on you. You are _mine_ to break." He took a step toward her and threw the bag at her. It hit her in the face before she could catch it. "I ain't gonna let drugs hurt you, neither. You wanna get high, I'll fucking show you what it's like."

Frisk crossed her arms over her chest. "All right, let's say I do wanna get high. How can _you_ show me what it's like?"

His eyes blazed, and he reached forward to grab her arm. "Hold on, bitch." He dug a claw into the crook of her elbow and let his magic seep in.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked. "Don't fucking…Sans, stop it!" She tried to wriggle away from him, but he wouldn't let her go.

He finally pulled his claw out and stepped back.

She looked at him with fear in her eyes for a moment before she felt the effects of his magic in her veins. Her head swam briefly before she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

The wave of nausea soon passed. She kept her arms wrapped around her stomach as she looked around. The walls began to swirl and move on their own, the paint cracking and falling all around her.

"What…" She tried shaking her head only to discover that it made her dizzy. She stumbled and reached out to Sans. He stepped away from her, watching her as she caught her own balance. "What's going on?" she slurred.

"Just wait, sweetheart. You ain't even started trippin' yet."

She wasn't sure she understood what he'd said. The words slurred together as the room began to get darker. Under the paint on the walls, cracked, black concrete seemed to seep with tar. She looked around for somewhere to sit. Her bed was closest, so she took a few steps toward it. She reached out and gripped the side of her mattress before she was able to sit. She put her head in her hands in an attempt at gathering her sanity.

Frisk sucked in a deep breath and looked up, trying to find Sans. She gasped; the room had transformed into something completely unknown to her—the walls were black and sticky-looking, the carpet was dirty and crawling with small insects she didn't recognize. She couldn't remember ever seeing anything with eighteen human-looking legs, hands instead of feet, and one eyeball for a head.

She pulled her legs up to avoid touching any of the bugs.

"Sans?" she whispered, "what is happening to me?"

She felt the bed depress next to her and looked over, expecting to see her monster.

Instead, she found herself looking into the milky white eyes of her mother's corpse. Her voice sounded far away and echoed in Frisk's head. "You wanted this." Her mother's lips turned up in a twisted smile, showing jagged, broken teeth and a black tongue. "Why did you let him kill me?"

Frisk sobbed, trying to move away from what she knew had to be her imagination. "I…I didn't…"

Her mother turned to move closer, her eyes, nose, and cheeks beginning to melt away as she asked again, "Why did you let him kill me?"

She shrieked as hands grabbed her arms. She tried to fight back but it was useless; she wasn't strong enough to get away. "Sans! Help me, please!" she screamed. Her arms were released only to have something constrict around her waist and hold her tight.

Sans held her close to him from behind, knowing she didn't know it was him. He knew what she was seeing, his magic inside her blood gave him the ability to see in her head. He wished he could control it; she didn't need to be blamed for her mother's death.

"Shh," he whispered into her ear. "You're gonna be okay. Just let it work and it'll fade."

Frisk tried to look around, her eyes wide and terrified. Her eyes landed on Daryl standing by the door. He grinned, blood pouring from his mouth, as he chuckled and undid his belt buckle. She closed her eyes tightly and sobbed.

"You're so pretty, baby girl," Daryl's voice rang around her. "So pretty. Such pretty lips."

Cold, clammy fingertips touched her cheek. She shrieked again and opened her eyes to see Daryl standing in front of her, as tall as he was when she was a kid. "I wanna feel those pretty lips on my cock." His mouth contorted in a broken smile too wide for his face as he began to laugh.

She sobbed and closed her eyes again, praying all this would be over soon.

She opened her eyes to see Sans standing in front of her. She reached out to him, trying to wriggle away from something that still held her tightly. He grinned widely, his gold canine glinting at her, before he stepped up close to her, opened his mouth, and sank his teeth into her shoulder and ripped out a hunk of flesh.

Frisk screamed and kicked as hard as she could. The room began melting away around her, tar and blood mixing together and filling the room. She whimpered as the bugs began to crawl up her legs, trying to escape death by drowning.

Images flickered around her as though projectors had been set up. She saw her mother again, laying on the couch as though she were only sleeping. She saw Daryl's stomach as he held her head securely and choked her with his dick. She saw strange, faceless creatures crawling on broken limbs as they moaned painfully, images she'd seen in nightmares.

"You're gonna be okay," Sans repeated into her ear. "It's just a bad trip; it'll go away soon enough."

She started coughing as the stench of blood filled the air. Her throat tightened, making it hard to breathe, and causing her to cough harder. She tried to speak but realized that something was caught in her throat. She gagged and tried to grab at her throat as it began to tingle from the inside.

Sans held her hands down, knowing she could likely scratch her own throat away if he let her. He blew in her face to remind her that she could breathe, which seemed to help as she gasped in a breath before choking again.

Tingling in her throat turned to a low-grade fire as black sludge began seeping out of her mouth. She spit and coughed before she realized that the sludge was millions of tiny black hornets. She sobbed again, and her legs went weak. Her eyes closed tightly, buzzing and fire ringing in her ears and behind her eyes.

She shook her head, thinking that she didn't want this anymore. Laughter began to echo around her, and she opened her eyes to see people from her past standing in a circle around her, pointing and laughing. Their faces were dark, eyes missing and mouths hanging open wider than should be physically possible, their cheeks having been slashed apart and their jaws dislocated.

Sans pressed his teeth to her head and told himself this was for the best. She needed to know why the path she was about to take was so bad. At least his magic wouldn't leave any lasting effects, and she sure as fuck wouldn't get addicted. He wanted to like this; she was experiencing both pain and fear at the moment because of him. At the same time, his soul ached from knowing that he was intentionally hurting her.

He sucked in a deep breath and took her over to the bed. He sat down with her in his lap, her hands still secured to keep her from doing any real physical damage to herself. Her fingers were curled into claws and her legs kicked as much as they could. Her whole body was stiff as she gurgled and attempted to scream through the imagined blockage in her throat.

A half an hour passed before his magic finally began to dissipate. Her body was warm and covered in sweat and her muscles still tight from attempting to fight her visions. She cried into his jacket as howling laughter, growls, and crunching of bones faded slowly into silence.

Sans finally let her hands go when he knew she wouldn't hurt herself. She reached up and gripped his jacket tightly, still sobbing.

They sat together in silence for what felt like an eternity. Frisk wasn't sure she dared move at all, too terrified that some part of her visions would come back if she did.

When her breathing had returned to a normal pace and her heart stopped pounding so hard, he stood up and took her to the bathroom. He tried to set her down, but she still clung to him.

"No! Please, don't leave me."

He smirked to himself and pried her hands away. "Princess, I ain't goin' nowhere. You just had a bad fuckin' trip, and I bet you'd like a bath." For some reason, soaking in hot water seemed to help her when she was upset.

She sniffled and looked up at him, so happy to see her monster in front of her again. She nodded. "You'll stay here, though?"

"Well, I ain't gonna watch you, but I'll stay in the bedroom."

She blushed deep and nodded again. "Okay." She let him step away from her. As he ran the bath for her, she sat on the closed toilet and tried to keep her thoughts from wandering to what she could remember of her hallucinations.

"What did you do to me?" she asked curiously.

He looked over at her, still bent over the side of the tub. "I showed you how bad it can be; your own personal hell."

She nodded. "Are all drugs like that?"

"No, but you ain't gonna find out what they _are_ like. You try, and you get that shit again."

She rubbed the crook of her elbow, the wound from Sans' claw already healed and faded. "I don't ever want that again."

He turned the water off and stood up. "I know ya don't." He held out his hand and helped her stand. "I ain't gonna help you take your clothes off, Princess. Sorry." He smirked at her blush and laughed when she pushed him out of the room, attempting to shield himself from her pretend slaps.

* * *

The next day, she gave the drugs back to the person she'd gotten them from. He tried to tell her that she couldn't back out of the deal. She asked him to come over so they could talk about it. He agreed, thinking maybe he could get some pussy out of the deal as well.

Frisk let L. in and shut and locked the door behind her. "I just don't want my roommates listening in," she explained.

L. smirked. "Sure, sweetheart."

She frowned; she didn't like the nickname coming from his mouth. "Anyway, I know we had a deal. You can even keep the money I gave you, okay? I just don't want to be a part of this anymore."

"Hmm." L. pretended to think about what she'd said. "See, here's the thing: you know how many girls think they can be drug dealers only to find out they don't got the balls? You know what happens when they break the deal they made with me? You got two choices here, baby girl. You can either deal the fucking drugs and give me the portion we agreed on, or you can start workin' the streets with me as your pimp. If you choose option two, I get to try you out first." He crassly grabbed the front of his pants.

Frisk shook her head. "No."

L. raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't got a choice."

"Yeah, I do. Now, here's my offer to you." She stepped closer to her closet and put a hand on the door. Sans scratched softly to let her know he was there. "You can take the drugs back and leave me alone, or you can regret ever having met me."

L. laughed out loud, wrapping an arm around his large stomach. "Are you threatening me, sweetheart? You don't know who the fuck you're dealing with, do you?"

Frisk smiled sweetly at him. "I don't care who I'm dealing with. You either take my offer to leave, or you _will_ regret it."

"Okay." L. nodded, looking at the floor for a moment before he lunged at her.

She dodged him, running to the other side of the room. As the closet door swung open, L. pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants.

Sans took one look at the gun before grabbing it with magic and throwing it across the room.

L. gaped in horror at the skeleton in front of him. "What the fuck?!"

"She warned you, fucker."

L. looked over at Frisk, who just shrugged.

"Oh," Sans added, "and she ain't your sweetheart." He reached out and gripped L.'s soul, lifting him up off the floor easily despite his girth. "She ain't your baby girl, neither. Her name is Frisk, and you ain't been very respectful. She even wanted you to keep her money after giving you back your merchandise. Ain't that sweet'a her?"

L. nodded, his pants already wetted. "I'm sorry."

Sans chuckled. "You had your chance, my friend."

"I ain't your friend."

Sans quirked his mouth. "We're gonna be gettin' real close, you and me. I'm gonna know you inside and out."

Frisk snorted. "Dork," she mumbled.

Sans grinned at her. "You wanna see this?" he asked her.

She grimaced. "Fuck no. Don't you have a secret place for this kind of thing?"

"What are you gonna do?" L. asked, his voice quivering.

"I told ya," Sans replied, gripping his soul a little tighter. "I'm gonna get to know your insides real good. I'm gonna find out what they look like, what they feel like, how they taste…all that shit."

L. whimpered. "Please…what do you want me to do?"

"Sans, really, I don't want to see you hurt him. Please go somewhere else."

Sans nodded, gripped L.'s throat, and disappeared.

L. gasped as Sans threw him to the hard concrete floor.

"Please!" L. begged. "I'll do anything you want me to do."

Sans lifted him again with magic and nodded. He stepped up close, his face only inches away from the weeping human's. "You threatened Frisk," he growled. "She's mine to break, you understand? Ain't nobody else allowed to hurt her. You threatened to pimp her out and fuck her without her permission. You pulled a gun on her."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked again.

Sans grinned, glinting his gold canine. He dug a claw into the man's gut, closing his eyes to enjoy the sounds of his agony. Slowly, he added a second claw, then a third. L. was panting, sweaty, and nearly passed out as Sans pushed his whole hand into his belly. He pulled out a section of small intestine and smiled.

"I want you to bleed."


	9. Monsters and Humans Get Freaky

Humans and Monsters Get Freaky

" _I will devour you  
_ _Take all the pain away  
_ _I cannot stay my hand  
_ _From reaching out so that I can  
_ _Empower you  
_ _For all eternity  
_ _It seems to ease my mind  
_ _To know that you've brought  
_ _Meaning to my life."  
_ — _Devour – Disturbed_

* * *

Frisk was twenty years old when she was finally settled in an apartment of her own. Sans scared her on her first night there by pretending to be gone. He was a little surprised to find that he didn't like the way her fear felt. It rubbed his soul wrong and left him feeling chafed.

"Sans, will you please never do that again?" she sobbed, gripping his jacket tightly. "I was so scared! You said you'd never leave me, but I'm not a kid anymore."

Sans patted her back, careful not to hurt her with his claws. "I ain't goin' nowhere, Princess."

She sniffled and pulled back, looking up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "Promise me, Sans."

"I already said—"

She shook her head. "No, I want you to promise me. You're my monster, right? Mine." She hugged him tightly. "I don't want you running off to scare some other kid."

Oh, fuck. Her declaration of possession tugged hard at something in his soul, and it felt _good_.

"I ain't yours, Princess," he growled. "You're mine."

She pulled back to gaze into his eye sockets. "Who owns who doesn't matter here," she whispered. "I need you to promise me that you're done pretending to be gone. _Please_?" She tugged at the front of his jacket as she pleaded, nearly pulling him down to her level.

"Who owns who will always matter," he ground out, his hand on her back pulling her closer to him. Her chest was flush against his. He couldn't help but notice how nice she felt against him. "I'll promise I'm done with that bullshit if you admit you belong to me."

She nodded. "I'm yours, Sans. I belong to you."

His soul shouted out to him, tremendous desire flooding from the core of his being out to his entire body. His claws gripped her shirt, nearly tearing, as he leaned down and pressed his teeth to her lips.

He pulled back, shocked at his own actions. "I…" What could he even say to that?

Frisk blushed deeply. They were both silent for a moment, Sans looking anywhere but at her while she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Why—"

"I don't know why I did that," he interrupted, "but it ain't happenin' again." He pulled back from her to be safe. His eyes raked down her body from the top of her head to her feet. The fact that she was no longer a child hit him like a fucking sledgehammer.

She smiled again. "You said the same thing about hugs, and those certainly happened again."

"You want me to kiss you, Princess?" Again, he looked her over. The purple shirt she wore wasn't tight or low-cut, and yet it managed to put her perky tits on display. He'd never paid much attention before; she was a kid. But now…damn, she had nice tits. Below them, her curves were wide and healthy. His magic began to pool in his groin as he thought about her hips grinding against him.

She shrugged and looked down at her hands still on his jacket. "Maybe."

Sans reached out and hooked a claw under her chin, gently lifting to make her look at him. Her brown eyes were full of lust. "Don't give me that shit. You want me to kiss you or not?" Her lips were damp and plump, fucking ready to be devoured.

Her red cheeks darkened with another blush as she nodded. "Yeah, I want you to kiss me."

He stepped forward and leaned down to press his mouth to hers once again. This time, she reached up and gripped his shoulders through his jacket. He pulled her close, lifting her feet off the ground, and opened his mouth to slide his summoned tongue along her lips. To his surprise, she opened her mouth and let him in.

Frisk groaned at the taste of his magic. She sucked on his tongue and shivered when he growled in response, his hands gripping her tighter to him. Her dangling feet spread and reached out, one wrapped around his lower leg while the other lifted and rested the crook of her knee on his hip bone.

Sans broke the kiss after her third whimper. He was getting far too heated. He set her down and ignored the pout on her face as he wriggled his way out of his jacket. The red sweater he was wearing under it needed to go, too.

Frisk bit her lip and watched in rapture as her monster—her Sans—stripped his top half in front of her. She had never once seen him without his jacket on. Although still big, he seemed to have reduced in size by almost half. She was a little surprised to see the thick bones of his rib cage. Her fingers reached out to touch him, her fingers gently exploring each rib.

Sans watched her as she touched him, his hands on her upper arms. He wanted to grip her to him and kiss her madly until they were both naked, but he refused to push her. He couldn't scare her like _that_.

She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled seductively. "It's not fair how hot you are," she mused. She slid her fingers up his sternum and across his clavicles to his shoulders. "Kiss me."

He nodded and pulled her close, once again lifting her off the ground, as he all but shoved his tongue in her mouth. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly as they kissed wildly in the middle of her living room.

Without a word, Sans took her back to her bedroom. He all but collapsed on top of her on the bed, not even trying to lay her down gently. As he hovered over her, he let his hands begin to wander. He gripped her ass tightly and shoved his hips forward, the manifestation of his lust pressing against her body with feral need.

Frisk broke the kiss and moaned eagerly. "Fucking hell, Sans," she panted as he licked her jaw to her ear. "This is even better than I imagined it."

Sans pulled back then and met her eyes. "You dream about fuckin' me, sweetheart?" he asked, grinding his caged erection against her.

She nodded, a dark blush spreading across her cheeks. "A lot, actually."

"Let's make that dream a reality, shall we?" He lifted her enough to start pulling her shirt off. He wasn't above fucking a human, and it had been a long damn time since he last had any kind of sex.

Frisk helped him, and soon she was completely naked under him. He dragged his claws gently down her abdomen, careful not to hurt her too badly, and kissed her left hip. Without giving her any chance to prepare, he spread her folds and pressed his tongue flat onto her pussy. He dragged upward, relishing in her taste and the way her body reacted to him.

Her abdomen clenched tightly as she cried out, her hands reaching down to try to grip at his skull. Her legs attempted to close around his shoulders, but he pushed them apart with a hand on her knee. The tip of his tongue dragged slowly across her clit, causing her to buck her hips into his face and cry out again.

He continued his administrations until she was dripping wet, her pussy flowing with need. He kissed her up her stomach, stopping for a moment to admire her hard nipples, before licking her throat up to her chin.

"You want this?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

Frisk nodded. "I want this."

He kissed her lips. "You wanna suck me?"

She swallowed, painful memories interrupting her desire. "I, um…"

He shook his head. "Sorry I asked; that was dumb'a me."

She reached up and framed his face with her hands. "It's okay, Sans." She kissed him. "I don't want to, though."

He nodded and kissed her once more. "You still wanna do this?" He reached down to rub her pussy gently, hoping to keep her interested.

"God, yes." Her hips bucked involuntarily against his fingers, the sensation of sharp claws against her sensitive flesh making her gasp. "Please, Sans."

He nodded and sat up enough to undo his belt buckle. He pulled the zipper down and shifted to stand up so he could get rid of the pants, kicking them and his boots off to the side. He watched her as she watched his cock, glowing bright red and pulsing with need.

He reached down between her legs and pushed a finger inside her dripping pussy. She gasped and looked up at him, pain in her eyes.

"Sans! Ow…" She squirmed, attempting to pull away from him.

"Fuck." He pulled his hand away, realizing that his claws were too much for her. "Are you okay?" He rubbed her gently with the backs of his fingers. He didn't like the swirls of blood that mixed with her wetness.

Frisk licked her lips and nodded. "I think so, but that hurt. I'm sorry."

He looked at her strangely for a second. "Why the fuck are you apologizing for that shit?" He rubbed her clit with a knuckle as he moved up, laying down next to her and kissing her jaw. "Sex shouldn't hurt unless you want it to. I can't imagine you want me scratchin' up the inside of your cunt. Not yet, anyway."

She whimpered, his fingers on her clit keeping her body pulsing with hot, heavy desire. "Yeah, I don't want that, but I do want you to fuck me."

He nodded again and moved down over her pussy. He pushed his tongue inside her, using a pulse of healing magic to heal the wounds he'd created. He licked her a few more times until he no longer tasted her blood.

Without a word, he moved over her and positioned the tip of his cock at her entrance. He met her eyes and pushed in gently. He knew this was her first time, and as much as he wanted to take her hard and fast, choke her and bite her, he wouldn't hurt her like this. He relished in her whimpered moans and the way her eyes slipped closed. She licked her lips and reached up to hold his shoulders, breathy moans escaping her throat with each increasing inch he moved inside her.

She only tensed up a few times, asking him with her furrowed brows and pain in her eyes to stop for a moment. She'd nod when she was ready for more advancement.

"How are you?" Sans asked when he'd managed to fill her completely. He leaned down, holding himself up with his elbows on either side of her, and kissed her cheek.

She opened her eyes and kissed his teeth. "So good, and ready for more."

He nodded and began to rock gently against her. His eyes slipped closed at the pleasure of the small movements. With it having been so long, and with how good her tight pussy already felt, he knew he wasn't going to last very long.

"Oh, Sans," her soft voice whimpered. Her breath warmed his cheekbone and caused him to move a little faster. Her answering moan told him she liked it.

"Goddamn, your pussy is so fucking tight," he groaned. "I ain't gonna last, sweetheart." He pushed himself up and gripped her knees, careful to not dig into her skin.

"Put your arms up, Frisk. I wanna see your tits bounce as I fuck you."

She smiled and did as he'd asked, gripping the pillow under her head. "You like my tits?"

He growled and moved a little harder to cause them to bounce more. "'Course I like your tits. You like my cock?" He ground against her for good measure.

Her back arched and her eyes clenched shut. "Oh, fuck! Do that again, please!"

"Answer me. You like my cock?"

"Yes! Yes, I love your cock. Please, do that again!"

He repeated the action, grinding against her and making damn sure he reached as far as his cock could reach inside her. Her pussy shivered around him, causing him to gasp. Maybe he could make her cum after all. He scooted a little closer and began to thrust in earnest, grinding against her each time he filled her.

He put a hand between them and carefully rubbed her clit with the back of his forefinger claw. She gasped and arched her back, her stomach clenching tightly.

"Oh…Oh god, Sans, please don't ever stop!"

He grinned to himself and rubbed her clit a little harder. "I want you to cum for me, Princess. I want you to cum all over my fucking cock." His eyes closed, and his face tilted up as she shivered around him again. He refused to give in until she'd shown him her orgasm.

Frisk's fingers gripped tightly at the pillowcase by her head, her knuckles white and her muscles straining. Her back arched again, her breathing shallow as she whimpered and moaned with every exhale. Her toes curled, the most delicious heat spreading from her over-occupied pussy to her stomach and down her legs.

Sans reached up and gripped her right breast, too eager to feel her flesh in his hand. He wasn't as gentle as he should have been, and his claws dug into her skin. Before he could apologize, she gasped. The soft pain disappeared to Frisk and pushed her over the edge. Her pussy clamped down on his cock, waves of pleasure like she'd never known before crashing over her whole body.

"Fucking Christ!" Sans leaned down over her and pounded into her, his own end so close. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and gripped his bones, still riding out the last of her orgasm. He buried his face in her neck, barely avoiding the urge to dig his teeth into her soft flesh, and let go. A few uncoordinated thrusts, and his cock inside her began to twitch. He held his breath as he finally came, spilling his magic seed inside her.

He laid on top of her for a few moments, recovering from one of the most intense orgasms he'd had in a long time. Her fingertips gently moved across his scapulae and clavicles. He moved just enough to kiss her and heal the puncture marks he'd made in her breast.

Frisk sucked in a deep breath and kissed his cheekbone. "Sans?"

He lifted his head and hummed. "Yeah?"

"Was that okay?"

He smirked and kissed her lips. "Ain't no way that was just 'okay,' sweetheart. That was fucking incredible."

She smiled. "I never imagined sex could be that good. I guess it's probably better with monsters, though, isn't it?"

His brow bones furrowed. "You ain't gonna find out, Princess, cuz you ain't gonna go around fuckin' anyone else."

She giggled and reached up to touch his cheekbones. "I don't want to fuck anyone else; I'm just happy that it was so good with you. And this was only our first time! We have so many more opportunities to learn each other's bodies."

Sans nodded and kissed her again. "How long you been thinkin' about fucking me?"

Frisk pursed her lips, thinking about her answer. "I think the first time I really wondered what it would be like was after that one boyfriend I had."

He raised a brow bone. "You have to elaborate, sweetheart; you've had a few too many."

She pushed up on his ribs gently, and he moved to her side. She turned to face him, and he pulled her in close.

"I was seventeen, I think. The boy and I were on my bed, making out, and he got a little too handsy for my liking. After he got mad at me for telling him to stop, you scared him. I felt bad for asking him to stop and you got mad at me for feeling bad. You told me that nobody should ever push me, no matter who they are. You said _you_ wouldn't even push me, and you're a monster, so that gave no right to any human to try it. That night, I thought about making out with you, and I dreamed about having sex. Of course, I didn't know about your dick, so it was all just fingers and toys, but it was a nice dream anyway."

He nodded. "I want ya to know I never thought about you like this. It never even crossed my mind until today when you wanted to pretend you own me. I got real fuckin' possessive, and when you so easily gave in to belonging to me…that was it."

Frisk met the lights in his eye sockets and licked her lips. "I need to ask you something."

"'Kay." His arms tightened around her a little; her sudden apprehension didn't sit well on his soul. "What is it?"

"I…I understand that I said I belong to you, but…I guess I just realized that I don't know what that means." She licked her lips again and wrapped her fingers around his ribs. "Am I…Is this what you meant when you said you'd hurt me when I got older?"

He shook his head and gently rubbed her back. His claws dug softly into her skin, not breaking it. "I ain't gonna hurt you, Frisk. That was back when you didn't mean nothin' to me. What this means, you bein' mine and all, is that you can't go gettin' yourself another man. You need to fuck, you fuck me."

She nodded. "But you're not mine?" The implications were starting to dawn on her. She didn't like them.

"I don't belong to no one."

"So, you can still fuck someone else?" She looked down; she didn't want to admit the stab of pain her soul suffered at that thought.

Sans realized what she was getting at and made her look at him. "I'm gonna be honest with you: I don't wanna fuck anyone else, but I got urges you don't wanna satisfy. Maybe someday, when I work you up to that. I'm a violent monster."

She nodded, averting her eyes to hopefully keep him from seeing the tears that had gathered there. "I know you're violent, Sans. I've known that since I was a kid. And don't tell me I don't want to satisfy all of your urges, because I do. I'll deal with pain for you."

"I don't wanna hurt you."

"I want you to hurt me."

His brow bones furrowed, and he tried to pretend he hadn't heard what she just said. "No, you don't. You don't know what you're askin' for."

That time she met his eyes, hers burning with meaning. "Sans, I would rather you pull my guts out with your teeth than fuck someone else. Hurt me if you have to, but please…If you can be soft and gentle with me like you were for our first time, then I can be tough and bloody for you."

Sans thought about that for a moment. The more he did, the more he realized he liked the idea. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't want to hurt Frisk, but if she was as willing to bleed for his pleasure as she seemed to be, then he'd let her.

"You make it sound like you love me or some shit."

"Maybe I do."

"Maybe I love you back. As much as a monster like me _can_ love, anyway."

Frisk smiled brightly and kissed him. "So, will you keep it in your pants for me?"

He snorted. "Yeah. I need to fuck, I fuck you."

"Will you just warn me if you need it bloody?"

He pulled her close again and nodded. "I already told you, sex ain't s'posed to hurt unless you want it to. One day, I'll rip you to fucking shreds, but that won't be until you're ready for that kind of pain. I got shit that can heal you, too."

She wasn't sure why those words were soothing, but she didn't care. "Stay with me tonight? In my bed, I mean."

Sans smirked again. "I ain't goin' nowhere. I might just fuck you again before you go to sleep, too." He leaned his head down and kissed her neck.

Her fingers grasped at the back of his skull. "I might just need you to."

"You wanna ride me?" He rolled over onto his back, his dick already starting to form.

Frisk licked her lips and nodded. "Yeah."


	10. Go to Hell, They Said It Will Be Fun

A/N: So I apologize if I'm about to annoy anyone, but I feel like I need to do this. I got a review from a reader that I cannot reply to in private. I'd like to do that here.

Dear Guest: You may or may not even open this chapter to see this note. I hope you do. Thank you so much for your kind and respectful words. I understand that Frans, especially the way I have written here, is not for everyone. I sincerely appreciate your way of expressing that without the use of flames. I knew going into this that some readers would want to quit at some point; it's not a surprise to me. I have been very fortunate in my time as an Undertale writer to not have flame reviews. I feel like you could have so easily turned what you said into something harsh, but you didn't. Anyhow, I just wanted to say thank you for being as kind as you were in your latest review, and thank you for reading as far as you did. *hugs*

* * *

Go to Hell, They Said. It Will Be Fun, They Said

The small monster's ears twitched nervously as he knocked on the large, black door. The sound seemed to reverberate around him and echo down the long hallway. He jumped back as the door opened.

Boss looked down at the pathetic creature at his feet. The monster was a small rabbit with a missing eye, a black and bloody hole in its place. His jagged teeth rubbed sores into his chin that seeped with bloody pus. His blue fur was dirty and matted in most places, and missing patches where he'd scratched a little too obsessively dotted his right side.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, CHARLES?" Boss asked, already irritated.

Charles shivered fretfully. "I have news." He had been doing his normal rounds, gathering information for Boss, when he'd passed by Sans' place. The monster wasn't even supposed to be in hell to begin with, but when he heard a feminine voice speaking, he knew something was up.

Boss crossed his arms over his broad, sharp chest. "WELL, DON'T JUST STAND THERE! WHAT IS IT?"

"Um…uh…S-Sans…he, um…"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Boss boomed. "HE WHAT?!"

"He brought the human down." Charles ducked his head, hoping to be spared of Boss' inevitable explosion.

It didn't help. Boss reached down and grabbed the monster by the throat, lifting him up to eye level.

"HE. DID. _WHAT_?!"

"They're in his quarters right now." Charles kicked his hind legs, hoping to be spared. He'd heard about bad jobs before, but none could be as harrowing as being Boss' messenger. He was never sure which message would be his last before Boss pounded him into dust.

Boss squeezed his hand around Charles' throat. "HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN HERE?"

Charles attempted to swallow, his front claws trying for any kind of purchase against Boss' gloved fingers. His one eye, slightly bloodshot, bulged outward from its socket. "Um," he squeaked, choking on the word. "I…can't…" He clawed at the red glove again.

Boss rolled his eyes and loosened his grip. "TELL ME."

The rabbit panted and swallowed before answering. "I became aware of their presence fifteen minutes ago."

Boss' eye sockets narrowed. "IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO TELL ME."

Charles prayed Boss would remember that he couldn't teleport, and Sans' chambers were across the underground. He'd ran as fast as his legs could carry him to deliver the news as soon as possible. He didn't dare say anything, merely shivered in fear.

"YOU WILL DELIVER A MESSAGE TO HIM." Boss dropped the monster, leaving him in a heap as he walked away. "YOU WILL TELL HIM THAT HE HAS FIFTEEN MINUTES TO COME UP WITH A GOOD EXPLANATION BEFORE I KILL HER MYSELF."

Charles nodded. "Yes, sir." Without waiting for further orders, he turned and bounded away. He was sure he was on his way to his death. He didn't have to deliver messages to Sans often, but when he did he was thankful that he worked for Boss instead of the other skeleton. Sans wasn't nearly as stable as Boss.

* * *

Frisk looked around the room, marveling at each new thing her eyes landed on. The bed was huge and took up a good chunk of space in the middle of the room. It was made neatly with red satin sheets and a black comforter. Beside the bed was a table made of black bones. On it was a lamp that lit the space with a soft glow.

Opposite the bed was a red couch with black lining. Two black pillows sat on opposite ends of the couch. She smiled warmly at the sight of the teddy bear she'd once given to him sitting on top of the left cushion.

"I remember this," she said softly, picking up the bear.

Sans stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I promised I'd keep it safe."

She looked back at him and nodded. "Thank you." She hugged it before she put it back down. "I'd like you to keep it for a while longer, if that's okay."

He watched her as she moved around and took in the space around her. It had been a week since they'd first slept together, and things were proving to be more difficult than either of them had expected. She had to continue living her life, pretending he didn't exist when she interacted with the rest of the world. She wanted to share her life with him, and she simply couldn't do that.

At the same time, Sans wanted to pull her into a bubble and keep her all to himself. He'd never felt so complete in his life as he did when he was with her, and some part of his soul was afraid he would lose her if he didn't do something.

His answer was to introduce her to his world. He couldn't be a part of her world, but maybe she could be a part of his. He knew Boss wouldn't like it, and it would take some threatening to keep other monsters' hands off of her, but it would be worth it. They could be together, and he could go back to interrogating and torturing those that deserved it.

At first, Frisk had been wary. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of leaving the world she knew behind. On the other hand, she wanted to be with the monster she loved. She wanted to be able to do things like go out on dates and talk to friends about her love life.

Sans knew she'd be afraid of his world. Hers was full of dangers, but none so blatant as what she'd find wandering his streets. Instead of letting her see what she was really getting herself into up front, he teleported them directly into his room. He'd let her get accustomed to the darkened space and twisted atmosphere before taking her out to meet anyone.

"How often do you stay here?" Frisk asked.

"I come and go sometimes, but I ain't spent a night here since I was charged with bein' your monster." He had missed his bed.

She looked at him sadly. "That's a long time."

He nodded and stepped up to her, putting his hands on her hips and lightly scratching her sides. "I'm lookin' forward to breakin' the bed in again." He leaned in and kissed her.

She smiled against his teeth and pulled back. "Do you ever not think about sex?"

"Sometimes I think about crushing a still-beating heart in my fist. Does that count?"

She shrugged. "I'll take it." She stood on her toes to kiss his jaw. "Besides, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking the same thing."

He smirked. "You ain't gonna crush any hearts, Princess."

Frisk snorted and swatted at his chest. "I meant the sex, dumbass."

His claws against her jeans pulled her closer. "What are we waitin' for?" He leaned in and kissed her, manifesting his tongue to shove it in her mouth. He loved the way her fingers gripped his jacket and tried to pull him closer.

Before he could pick her up, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He broke the kiss and furrowed his brow bones.

"Who the fuck…? Hold that thought, sweetheart." He kissed her again and left to answer the knock.

Charles looked up, shaking and out of breath. "Hi, Sans."

Sans narrowed his eye sockets. "The fuck you want?"

"I have a message from Boss." He had decided he'd get this over with as quickly as possible. There was no use in putting off his own demise.

Sans stepped back and let the small rabbit inside.

Curious, Frisk walked over to see who their visitor was. As soon as she laid eyes on the monster, she gasped and nearly tripped backward.

"What the fuck is that?!" she shrieked.

Sans chuckled. "That's called a Charles," he answered. "He's a meddler."

Charles looked over the human and grimaced; she was ugly with no fur and strange-looking features. "I'm Boss' messenger is what I am. He says you have fifteen minutes to come up with a good reason for having her here or he'll kill her himself."

Sans' smile dropped. The room was deathly quiet for a few beats of Frisk's heart. She swallowed, something inside her telling her to back up.

Sans reached out and gripped Charles' soul, lifting him up and squeezing tightly. "You wanna say that again, fucker?"

Charles wheezed, the tightness in his chest preventing him from speaking. "I…"

"You fucking told Boss I have her here, didn't you?" He squeezed again, causing the rabbit to grasp at his chest and beg soundlessly for mercy. "I have a good fucking reason, but you won't get to hear it. You'll be too busy dirtying my floor with your fucking dust."

Charles screeched as Sans twisted his hand, his soul beginning to chip. His mouth hung open and his good eye bulged again, nearly popping out of its socket. His front paws clawed at his chest, trying to find some kind of relief from the intense agony.

Frisk realized what was happening as the floating rabbit screamed again. Her eyes watered; she wasn't sure she could watch Sans kill someone.

"Sans?" Her voice was little more than a whimper.

"Not now, sweetheart."

She pushed her fear aside and stepped up to him, gripping the sleeve of his jacket. "Please don't kill him."

Sans looked at her, his eyes glowing with powerful magic. "He practically signed your death warrant, Frisk. I ain't gonna let him get away with that shit."

She nodded, her hand on his jacket slowly inching toward his hand holding Charles. "I know you feel like that right now, but please don't kill him. He was just doing his job." At least, that was what it sounded like to her.

He growled and dropped the rabbit. "You better fucking grovel at her feet, fucker." He turned and walked away, trying to think of some way to convince Boss to let her live. There was no way he'd let her get hurt. He'd fight to the death first.

Charles looked up at the human, fear in his good eye. Sans would get his revenge, and he knew it. The girl wouldn't always be there to stop him. Still, he knew he'd better show his gratitude as Sans had told him to.

"Thank you," he rasped.

Frisk stepped back as Charles approached her. "Um…you're welcome?" She licked her lips and turned to see what Sans was doing. He was standing by a table in the far corner, leaning down with his hands on the edges and seeming to stare at the surface like he was trying to make it burst into flame with sheer willpower.

She shrieked as she felt something cold and damp touch her leg. Charles had put a paw on her calf, attempting to show his gratitude. Frisk jumped back, bumping against the bed as she did.

"I'm sorry, Ch-Charles," she stuttered. "I…I mean, you're welcome, but please don't touch me."

Sans growled from the corner, causing Charles to step backward.

The rabbit nodded and thanked her one more time before limping out of the room. He made sure to close the door behind him.

Frisk relaxed the moment the decaying monster was gone. She sighed and walked over to Sans. He looked up at her, his eyes still glowing red.

"What's wrong with me being here?" she asked curiously.

Sans sighed and stood up. "As far as I'm concerned? Nothin'. As far as Boss is concerned? Every fucking thing because I'm disobeying orders. You weren't supposed to be nothin' but a human I'd eventually kill. I wasn't s'posed to fall in love."

She pursed her lips and nodded, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Sans was supposed to kill her.

"But you can convince him that it's okay, right?"

He shrugged and reached out to her. She put her hand in his and let him pull her close. She clung to his jacket as he wrapped his arms around her.

"If I can't, I gotta kill him." He sucked in a deep breath and pressed his teeth to her hair.

"You sound like you don't want to do that." She was a little confused; he had seemed far too willing to kill a monster simply because he told someone she was there. Why would he not want to kill a different monster for trying to kill her?

He shook his head against her hair and squeezed her tightly before pulling back. "He's the only monster in this whole fucking place I don't wanna kill. He's my brother."

Frisk gasped, a hand flying up to cover her mouth. "Oh, god…"


	11. Brothers Don't Always Get Along

Brothers Don't Always Get Along

Hard pounding at the door made Frisk jump. She turned toward the sound, anguish settling in her gut. She couldn't make Sans do this. It wasn't fair of her to make him choose between her or his brother.

She watched with increasing nausea as Sans went to answer the door. As soon as he answered it, a tall skeleton forced his way in, pushing Sans back.

"WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, SANS?" the monster boomed.

Frisk looked him over. He was at least a foot taller than Sans and wore a black shirt covered in a red cape. His tight black pants were held up with a red belt that had a skull buckle, and he had tall, red boots on his feet. His hands were covered in red gloves as well. He had a scar on his left eye socket, and his teeth were sharp fangs like Sans', only his were chipped and ragged.

"Back the fuck off, Boss," Sans warned, his magic already flaring.

"YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU THREATEN ME."

"I didn't try for any of this to happen; it just did." Sans took a step back and held up his hands like he was surrendering. "Just…please don't hurt her. I'm beggin' ya, bro."

Boss narrowed his eye sockets. "DON'T CALL ME THAT."

Frisk licked her lips and took a step forward. "But you _are_ his brother, aren't you?"

Boss' eye lights snapped to Frisk, and his sockets narrowed further to glare at her. "WAIT YOUR TURN, BITCH."

He lifted a hand, and Frisk felt a strange tug in her chest. Before she could comprehend what was happening, her body was shoved backward, and she slammed into the wall. She blinked hard and took a moment to catch her breath.

Sans growled and reached out to grab Boss' soul. He lifted the monster up and squeezed. "You might be stronger physically, but I got the stronger magic. You wanna make a bet about who will win?" He squeezed again, twisting his hand, and causing Boss to cry out in pain.

"Sans, put him down! I'm okay." She pushed herself back up the wall and put her hand over her chest. "I'm okay," she repeated.

Before Sans could make a decision, Boss threw a pulse of magic that knocked Sans backward several feet. Boss fell to the floor in a heap, gasping for air as Sans scrambled back to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Frisk hollered, rushing forward to check on Sans.

Sans wanted to tell her to go back where she was. He wanted to push her away and out of danger. He didn't have a chance.

Boss stood up and threw his hand out, a wave of bones shooting forward. Sans raised his hand, creating a wall to protect both him and Frisk from the onslaught. The wall cracked with the impact but held well enough. He pushed Frisk behind him and threw his own attack at his brother.

"I _WILL_ KILL HER, SANS; YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, DON'T YOU?" Boss took a step forward, dodging a bone.

"You ain't gonna fuckin' touch her." He tried to grab Boss' soul, but the taller monster pulsed his own magic to deflect the attempt.

"YOUR UNION WITH HER IS UNNATURAL AND WILL END IN BLOOD. WHAT KIND OF FUTURE DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE HERE? I WOULD BE DOING YOU A FAVOR TODAY, SPARING YOU THE PAIN OF LOSING HER TO YOUR OWN OFFSPRING."

Sans flinched and threw a barrage of bones at his now enemy. "We ain't gonna have any fucking offspring." Problem solved.

Frisk gripped the back of Sans' jacket, the words spoken between the two skeletons clutching her attention in a vice grip. They could have children together? What did Boss mean that their relationship would end bloody? What was Sans not telling her?

"SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT WITH HER."

"The fuck does it matter to you?"

"IT REALLY DOESN'T, BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT SHE'S GOING TO DIE BEFORE SHE GETS A CHANCE TO KNOW WHAT SHE REALLY MEANS TO YOU. I'M NOT SURE YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE MEANS TO YOU. THAT'S EVEN BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL IT ON YOUR SOUL WHEN SHE'S DEAD."

Frisk felt another tug on her chest and gripped Sans' jacket tighter. Despite her grip, she still flew backward and slammed into a counter at the far end of the room. She felt something in her back snap with a hot, sharp shock and screamed out to Sans as she crumpled to the floor. She tried to get up and go back to him but found she couldn't move her legs.

"Sans!" she cried out. She needed him to help her, but she was so scared that Boss would hurt him if he was distracted.

Sans took a deep breath, stopping himself from reacting reflexively to what Boss had just done. Instead, he built up his magic, gripped Boss' soul, and pulled him close.

"You're gonna regret that," he growled.

Boss chuckled as he was dragged closer. "WE ALL KNOW YOUR BARK IS WORSE THAN YOUR BITE, SANS. YOU DON'T HAVE THE FUCKING GUTS TO KILL ME."

"Sans!" Frisk cried out again. "Please…I know you'll regret it if you hurt him."

Sans shook his head. A tiny part of his soul wanted to listen to Frisk, but the rest of him wanted to make Boss eat his words.

"He's your brother!" Frisk sobbed, praying she wouldn't have to watch Sans kill his own brother for her. "Don't you have any good memories? Didn't you like each other once?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO LET YOURSELF GET TALKED OUT OF THIS, SANS. WE BOTH KNOW IT. AND WHEN YOU PUT ME DOWN, I'LL FINISH WHAT I STARTED. SHE WILL DIE TODAY."

Sans growled and twisted his hand, clenching his fist tighter. Boss cried out and grasped at his chest. As Frisk started to say something else, he reached out his other hand toward her. He pushed her gently against the cabinet and forced her to shut her mouth.

"Shut up," he growled at her. "This ain't your fight."

He turned his attention back to his brother. "I got more guts than you, apparently," he snarled. "How many times you threaten to kill me, huh? You never once got as far as I got today." Another squeeze of his fist caused Boss to groan and pull his legs up, fighting for some kind of relief. "You're gonna be beggin' me to let you live."

He lifted Boss up higher until his head hit the ceiling. With a low growl, he flung his hand down, causing Boss to slam against the ground. He didn't stop to give the other monster any relief. With a wave of his arm, Boss slid across the room and crashed into the wall by the bed. A loud crack was heard as a rib was broken.

"SANS!"

"Shut your fuckin' mouth. Unless you're beggin' for your life, I don't wanna hear a fuckin' thing."

Frisk tried to speak but found that she couldn't open her mouth. She tried grunting and reaching out to Sans; he didn't seem to notice her at all. Instead of watching him do something she knew would haunt him for the rest of his life, she closed her eyes and curled up as much as she could into herself.

Boss attempted to pulse his magic. Sans braced himself and pulsed his own to counteract the attack. With another wave of his arm, Boss slid across the floor and slammed into the opposite wall. Before he could even grunt in pain, an onslaught of sharp bones came out of the wall and pierced his body in several places.

"SANS, PLEASE!"

Sans ripped Boss away from the bones, chipping Boss' arms and legs in the process. "You know what I'm capable of, bro. How far you really think I'm willin' to go to get what I want?"

Boss panted as dust tumbled from his wounds. "I UNDERESTIMATED YOU," he puffed. "I'M…I'M SORRY, BROTHER."

"I don't hear no beggin'." He gripped his fist tighter, causing Boss to cry out again.

"AAH! PLEASE, BROTHER. I WILL NOT KILL HER."

Sans narrowed his eye sockets and squeezed tighter still. "I want you to _fucking beg_."

"SANS, I AM BEGGING YOU. PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME. _PLEASE_ , BROTHER."

"Heal her, and I might consider letting you live."

Boss nodded. Sans dropped him and kept his eyes on him as he crawled over to Frisk. He stood close by, hovering to make sure Boss didn't do anything stupid.

Boss knew better. He'd knew when to admit he'd been beaten. Instead of trying to get sneaky or break his promise, he did as he was told.

Frisk stared at Boss with wide, terrified eyes as he put his gloved hands on her. She was afraid of the pain but was shocked to find that her body was completely numb. He met her eyes, and she realized that she felt bad for him as he panted and pulsed a hot, orange energy into her. It took him a few tries to get enough magic to do the job. She felt something snap inside her, and suddenly she could feel her legs again. They didn't tingle or hurt at all; it was if the injury had never even happened.

Boss sat back and looked up at Sans. "SHE'S HEALED. YOU SHOULD RELEASE HER."

"Don't fuckin' tell me what to do," Sans growled. Without releasing Frisk, he stepped back and pointed at the door. "Now get the fuck out of here."

Boss nodded and struggled to his feet. He walked unsteadily to the door. Before he left, he took a second to regain his composure. He couldn't appear weak in front of other monsters. After a semi-deep breath—as deep as he could muster with his broken rib—he opened the door and left.

Frisk tried to get up, but realized she was still pinned to the cabinet. She couldn't open her mouth, either. She reached up and tugged on Sans' shorts.

Sans looked down at her and realized he really should let her go. He released his magic and held out his hand to help her up.

"You okay? How you feelin'?"

Without a word, she slapped him across the face and walked away. She wouldn't admit that her hand hurt from the contact with hard bone.

"The fuck was that?" he demanded, turning to follow her.

"You don't tell me to shut up," she spat at him and sat on the bed. "And you don't make me watch you hurt other people."

Sans growled. "What, you wanted me to let him kill you?"

She sighed and looked at him. "No, but I sure as hell didn't want to see that. And what did you do to me? I couldn't even open my mouth."

He shrugged. "You were distracting me, so I shut you up. And, yeah, I _will_ tell you to shut up if your life is on the line."

She glared, and he just smirked at her. With a huff, she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"This isn't funny, Sans. I'm serious."

Sans put his hands on her shoulders. He wasn't as careful as he should have been with his claws and they dug sharply into her shirt. She hissed and pulled back. He didn't let her go but did make sure he didn't cut her.

"I'm serious, too, Princess. This place ain't what you're used to; there's a lotta shit here that will want to kill you, and I ain't gonna let that happen. I'm sorry if I scared you, but I ain't gonna apologize for savin' your life, no matter what I gotta do to do that."

She smiled up at him, a strange gleam in her eye. "Did you really just apologize for scaring me?"

He quirked his mouth and let her go, stepping back a few inches. "No."

"Yes, you did! You've spent my whole life scaring the shit out of me, but this time you're sorry for it! Oh my god, this is precious." She laughed and stepped up to him, gripping his jacket in her fingers. "I love you."

He glared at her for a second before he just couldn't keep up the charade any longer. He pulled her closer with his hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her. "I kinda love you, too."


	12. My Little Masochist

My Little Masochist

"Ya know…" Frisk started, letting her hands trail up the front of Sans' jacket to his shoulders. "If I remember correctly, we were just starting something before we got interrupted." She looked up at him through her lashes and bit her lip.

Sans snorted. "Seems your memory still works." He leaned in to kiss her briefly before he pulled back and tugged up on her shirt. "I wanna try somethin'."

She reached behind her to unclasp her bra. One of the hooks was stuck. As she struggled with it, he put a claw under the thin connection between her breasts and snapped it open. She glared.

"Sans! This was…That's my bra!"

"It wasn't coming off fast enough. You have others, right?" He knew she did.

She grumbled a little as she let the bra drop to the floor. "Yeah." She sucked in a breath. "What did you want to try?"

He pulled her close and kissed her again. "I wanna taste your blood."

Frisk looked up at him, excitement and fear in her eyes. "How?"

He kissed her jaw and licked her skin to her ear. "I wanna bite you."

She raised her chin and moaned as he licked her ear. He opened his mouth and dragged his sharp teeth over the shell of her ear, being careful not to break any skin. She shivered into him, a soft whimper escaping her lips, and she nodded.

"Okay."

After getting rid of her pants, she let him push her down onto the bed. He shrugged out of his jacket and sweater then crawled on top of her.

"Tell me if you want me to stop, Princess."

She gripped his ribs and pulled him down. He smirked against her lips before kissing her. She sucked on his tongue and pressed her hips up to his, moaning at the feel of the bulge in his pants.

"Why the fuck are you still wearing clothes?" she asked, pushing him back. "Take 'em off before you bite me."

Sans chuckled and sat up on his knees. "Yes, ma'am." He undid his belt buckle and met her eyes as he slowly pulled the zipper down. He loved the way she licked her lips, her eyes darting down to his hips every few seconds. He pushed the pants down and stood up long enough to kick them and his boots off somewhere toward the middle of the room. He stroked his red, glowing erection as he slowly climbed back over her.

"Better?" he asked.

Frisk nodded. "Much." She reached down and wrapped her fingers around his cock. "Let me do that."

He nodded and leaned down over her. His eyes closed as she rubbed him. "A little tighter, sweetheart."

She tightened her grip and wrapped the fingers of her other hand around his ribs, pulling softly. "Kiss me?"

He grunted and leaned down to shove his tongue into her mouth. As they kissed, he reached between them and rubbed her clit with the backs of his fingers. She moaned into his mouth and bucked her hips against his bones.

"I need to fuck you," Sans said, pulling back.

Frisk nodded again and helped him get into position. He pushed in slowly, paying attention to her body to know if he needed to be gentler. Her body took him in one smooth motion, all the way to the hilt. They both moaned together as his bones met her hips. He leaned down over and kissed her throat before he started to thrust against her.

"Don't bite me there," Frisk said, her voice tight with carnality. "Some…oh, god…somewhere else."

He smiled against her skin and pushed against her harder. "I'm gonna bite your shoulder. Are you ready?" He pushed her hair out of the way.

She nodded and braced herself for the pain.

He kissed her skin twice before he opened his mouth and sank his sharp fangs into her. He groaned, his cock twitching inside her, as her blood rushed over his tongue. He'd never tasted anything better.

Frisk whimpered at the shock of his teeth digging into her skin. Instead of breaking her concentration, it only caused the intense pleasure she was already experiencing to nearly double. Her back arched into him and her hands gripped at his bones tighter, pulling him into her.

"Fuck!" she shrieked. "Sans, fuck me harder."

He obliged, licking at the wound on her shoulder as he began to pound into her. He bit her again, closer to her chest, and closed his eyes against another shockwave of feral desire. He craved her in every way he could have her. He wanted to claim her in every possible way, scratch his claws down her back, and leave scars that only he would ever see. Instead, he licked up the newly shed blood on her breast and kissed her up her throat. He shifted slightly, pushing his legs further apart to get closer to her, and thrust against her harder.

"Your pussy feels so fucking good," he growled into her ear. "Your blood tastes like heaven. Fucking Christ, I could fuck you forever." He kissed the lobe of her ear, causing a deep shiver to run through her body. His eyes closed as her pussy squeezed against his cock. "You know just how to fuck me, sweetheart," he whispered. "Your pussy milks my cock so good."

"Sans! Goddammit, I'm gonna cum!" Her back arched, pressing her chest up into him. Her eyes closed tightly, and her legs spread further apart. "Please, please…I need to cum."

He pressed his face into her neck for a second before he sat up. He gripped her legs behind her knees and pushed them up and apart. "Rub your clit while I fuck you," he demanded.

She whimpered and did as he said. Her whole body jerked the moment she touched her swollen clit. "Oh, my god," she moaned. She rubbed softly, hot shots of carnal need flashing through her body as she did. "Sans…fuck…I…" She gasped, her pussy tightening around his cock thrusting wildly inside her.

"I didn't say lightly touch, Frisk. Fucking rub that clit. Let me watch you explode."

Her fingers twitched as she cried out. She licked her lips and pressed her fingers down on her oversensitive clit. She rubbed in a circle, her body pulsing and nearly falling over the edge. Another stroke. Then another.

Sans watched her as she explored her own pussy. Her fingers so close to his cock, pleasuring herself while he fucked her, made him lean over and pound into her a little harder. He could feel his end getting closer, but dammit he needed to see her cum.

Frisk's whole body was overcome with heat. Her back arched higher as her fingers rubbed frantic circles around her clit. She couldn't form a coherent thought to tell him she was almost there. Instead, she panted out grunts and growls as her toes curled and her eyes clenched shut tightly. Suddenly, her body burst open in a bright hot flash of pure pleasure. Her pussy clamped down on him tightly and a rush of wetness threatened to spray over his bones.

He fucked her harder, growling at the feel of her orgasm around him. Her pussy spasmed, wave after wave of clenching walls pulling him in and milking the fuck out of his cock. He barely pulled out at all, his thrusts shallow and needy until he finally came inside her. He came hard, his dick throbbing as his magical cum filled her to overflowing.

He pulled out and kissed her lazily. She looked up at him, sweat covering her forehead and plastering her hair around her face. He smiled and all but collapsed to her side.

They were both silent for a while, both recuperating from their intense fucking.

Frisk turned to her side facing him and kissed his arm. "I love you, Sans."

He looked over at her. "Love you, too, Princess." He moved to put his arm around her. "Come here."

She scooted up closer to him and put her head on his ribs. Her arm wrapped around his chest. "I never thanked you for saving my life earlier."

"You never gotta thank me for that." He kissed her forehead and rubbed his claws gently down her arm. "It's probably gonna happen a lot the first little while 'til people down here start realizin' you're mine."

She smiled and kissed his bones. "I'm yours to break, right?"

He chuckled. "Got that right. Fuck, I'm tired."

"Me, too." She blinked heavily and nuzzled her face against him. "I could use a nap."

"How you feelin'?" He looked down at her and reached out to touch her shoulder with his hand not around her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "It hurts a little, but I'm okay. God, it felt good when you bit me."

He smirked. "I knew you had a masochist in you somewhere."

"It only makes sense; I mean, I fell in love with a sadist."

He kissed her hair. "You want me to heal you?"

She shook her head. "No. I want these scars."

He nodded. "Aight. 'Night, Princess."

"Can we get under the covers? I'm kind of cold."

He opened a socket and looked at her. "You mean I gotta move?"

She smiled and pushed on his ribs. "Yes."

She managed to get him up long enough to get under the blankets. She snuggled up to him again once settled.

"Isn't this better?" she asked, so much more comfortable now.

He shrugged. "I could care less; I don't get cold."

"Well, I think it's better. Goodnight."

He squeezed her one more time. "'Night."

* * *

A/N: I promise, answers are coming. Frisk sure as hell isn't going to forget what she heard about offspring. But, y'know...sex.


	13. Monster Food is Weird

Monster Food is Weird

Frisk woke up to the sound of her stomach rumbling. She sucked in a yawn and nuzzled her face against Sans still snoring next to her. After a moment, she rolled to her back and rubbed her eyes. She yawned again as she stretched, accidentally smacking Sans in the face as she did.

"The fuck?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.

She giggled as he turned to his side and pulled her close to him, spooning her against him. She decided she was comfortable and didn't want to move.

Until her stomach rumbled again.

Sans rubbed his face against her back and pulled her in tightly against his bones. "The fuck are you growlin' for?"

"That was my stomach."

He kissed her shoulder. "Why does it do that?"

"I'm hungry." She turned in his arms and smiled at him. "What do you have to eat here?"

He frowned. "Nothin'. I ain't been here in years." He kissed her. "There's a place not far where we can get some breakfast."

She nodded and kissed him back. She realized then that she had never once seen him eat anything. " _Do_ you eat?" she asked.

He smirked at her. "I don't hafta, but I like to. I haven't in a long time; I don't like your nasty human shit." Unless it was actual human, he thought.

"What do monsters eat?" Her stomach growled again.

"Whatever the fuck we want. Sometimes I eat pussy."

She snorted. "You ate my pussy the first time we fucked, so that means you just lied to me about not having eaten anything for a while."

He pulled back and stretched, turning onto his back as he did. "I guess I did. I also ate that one guy a few months ago." His voice was distorted with a yawn.

Frisk grimaced, her stomach turning a little. "You… _ate_ him?"

He looked over at her. "'S what I do. I mean, I killed him first. Real slow. Same thing with every other fucker who wanted to hurt you. I like the taste of human guts. Sue me."

"Okay, we're done talking about this." She sat up and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. "I need real food and for you to never, ever, mention eating people again."

He chuckled and sat up next to her. "Don't mean it won't happen."

She looked down at her shoulder and chest. It hurt more this morning than it had the night before. The marks had seeped a bit in the night, and she had dried ooze all over her skin.

"Everything okay?" he asked. He looked at the marks as well; they were red but not puffy. "You sure you don't want me to heal ya?"

"I'm sure. It'll take a while to heal, I'm sure; these are kind of deep." She picked at a dried spot between marks. "I might want to put a bandage over them."

"Not sure I got anything like that here, but we can get some shit while we're out."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds good."

He kissed her cheek and stood up to start gathering his clothes.

She watched him as he got dressed and surveyed her clothing situation. Hers were dirty; she'd worn them two days in a row in favor of not doing laundry and spending all day in bed with Sans instead. She quirked her lips and looked up at the monster.

"Do you have any clean clothes that might fit me?"

He snorted. "No. Put your clothes on. After breakfast we can either go get somethin' from your apartment or we can find somethin' in one of the stores around here."

She grimaced but nodded. "Okay." She really didn't like the feeling of sliding on dirty panties. She was going to need three showers to get rid of this nastiness.

Sans watched her and realized how uncomfortable she really was. He'd forgotten that humans made as much of a mess as she did when they fucked. He smirked to himself; he'd like to get her wet again now. He pushed that thought away and went to a closet to start digging around for something she could wear.

* * *

Frisk felt like a toddler wearing an adult's clothes as they walked out of the room. She'd ended up putting her pants on without any underwear and borrowing a shirt from Sans. The shirt was three sizes too big for her, but it was comfortable at least. It was a gray t-shirt with a beaver and the quote, "save a tree, eat a beaver" on the front.

"I feel ridiculous," she pouted as he shut the door behind them. The shirt rubbed roughly against her shoulder, making it obvious how much she needed a bandage. Her stomach rumbled again; she decided food was the bigger need at the moment.

"You look adorable." All she'd need is pigtails and she'd look seven years old again. Then again, maybe that wasn't a good thing. He still wanted to fuck her, so it was definitely not a good thing. No pigtails for her.

She smirked at the look on his face. She took his hand as they walked down the hall.

"You're gonna see a lotta strange shit out there," he warned her. "Remember, you ain't in your delicate little world no more." He looked down at her and squeezed her hand. "Ain't nothin' gonna hurt you, though, 'kay? Not with me around."

She nodded and stepped a little closer to him. "I never asked you where we are."

He opened a door and stepped outside, holding it open for her. She stepped out with him and looked around. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. Her fingers instinctively reached out for his jacket, holding tightly as she pressed herself into his side.

The sky was dark and gloomy, looking more like it was made of obsidian shards than a real sky. Street lamps spaced evenly apart lit the shadowy road, dark gray and cracked sidewalks, and dilapidated buildings along the street. A cold wind caused her to shiver.

"Welcome to hell, Princess."

She looked up at him. "Hell? Like, real hell?"

"Yep. Well, I guess that depends on what you mean by 'real hell'. Some of your human religions can really mess shit up after a few years." He chuckled, remembering some books he'd read with vivid descriptions that had nothing to do with what happened in his world.

She swallowed and looked around again. Across the street, a tall, green rabbit was limping down the sidewalk. One leg was clearly broken, its foot twisted so far outward at the ankle that he was stepping on the inside of his foot. She shrank into Sans' side and grimaced. His arm tightened around her.

"That's Hector. Nice guy. He sells these ice cream bars that are actually fairly decent. They have inventive insults and shit on the wrappers."

She nodded. Not far behind Hector was a bear with ragged, red fur sitting down on the steps of a building. He was smoking. As he pulled the cigarette away from his mouth, Frisk gasped at the sight of several rows of sharp, glittering teeth.

She took a breath and reminded herself that she wasn't in danger as long as she stayed by Sans. She gripped his hand a little tighter.

They started their way down the sidewalk. Frisk tried to keep from looking around as they walked, but she was too curious. She kept reminding herself that Sans wouldn't let anything hurt her.

A few of the monsters she saw reminded her of things a person might see in a scary movie. A dog monster with white foam dripping from his jagged, yellow teeth waved at Sans. His brown fur was matted and missing chunks in some places. Sans waved back and told her that was Dogamy. His wife, Dogaressa, was nearby.

Another monster, this one a tall black figure with no discernable face, crossed the street to avoid walking near Sans. He chuckled.

"Brad doesn't like me. I beat the shit outta him one day for threatening my brother."

Frisk smiled. She liked that he knew the monsters around them and acted as if there was nothing strange at all about their appearances. She had to wonder if he felt the way she did when she talked about the people she knew. Was her world as foreign to him as his was to her?

"Are we close? I'm starving."

"Yeah, it's just up here." He pointed to a tall building with a glowing sign on the front that read, "Grillby's."

"It's a grill?" she asked excitedly. She hadn't had a decent steak in a long fucking time.

Sans chuckled. "Not the kind you're used to, but sure. Don't order the fish."

She looked up at him. "Why?"

"We ain't got no edible fish down here; you don't wanna know what it actually is."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay. No fish for me."

He hugged her to him gently before walking up the steps to the building. He held the door open for her and put his hands on her shoulders as they made their way up to the bar.

Frisk reached up and gripped his hands tightly as she looked around. She wanted to turn right back around and leave the place, but Sans was gently persistent as he all but pushed her to move forward.

Near the door sat a creature she was sure she'd seen in a nightmare once. Its head was pale and its mouth was a sharp metal plate that bent inward, creating a permanent opening in the middle of its face. It had no eyes and no nose. It shrunk back a little as they passed.

At one of the tables were two monsters, both dogs with matted fur like the one she'd seen on the street. These two wore metal armor and growled at each other with frothing mouths.

Closer to the bar, at a booth, a large flower with nothing but jagged, uneven teeth on its face sat digging into a plate of something red and squelching. Her stomach turned a little at the sound.

She swallowed tightly and turned her attention to the person tending the bar.

The monster was made entirely of dark purple flame, but he somehow managed to emit a lighter purple aura around him. He was dressed in a dark suit and stood polishing a glass in his hands. His eyes reminded her of a cat's the way they glowed bright orange against his face. His mouth was a jagged smile shape that extended from one side of his head to the other, a hint of orange peeking out between cracks.

"Sans," the flame monster said. His voice was low and smooth. "Long time, no see. Who's this?" He jerked his head toward Frisk.

Sans pulled out a bar stool for Frisk and helped her up to it before sitting next to her. He took her hand gently in his. "Hey, Grillz. This is Frisk, my mate."

Despite the lack of visible eyebrows, Frisk was sure he'd just raised one. "Since when are _you_ mated?"

"Since about a week ago. What ya got hot and ready?"

Frisk looked at Sans, wondering what mated meant. Did it happen when they had sex or when she said she belonged to him? Or was it…oh, she didn't have the mental capacity for this shit right now. She was too hungry to focus on anything.

"Anything you want. Name it, and I can have it ready in a few minutes."

"Do you have any burgers?" Frisk asked.

"Sure do. One rat burger, coming up."

Her stomach twisted.

Sans laughed at the look on her face. "Don't worry, sweetheart; it ain't actual rat. We don't got rats down here neither. At least, none that we would eat."

She nodded, a little relieved. Then she wondered… "What is it made of?"

"We got something like cows; they're hard to explain. The burgers are good, though. Give 'em a shot."

"Okay." She figured she might as well. If all else failed, she'd make him take her back to her world so she could get some groceries.

A few minutes later, Grillby returned with two plates and set them down in front of the couple.

"Figured you'd want one, too, Sans. Fries included."

Sans smirked. "You're too good t'me, Grillz."

"You're paying me, ain'tcha?"

Sans laughed. "Put it on my tab."

"You fucker."

Frisk looked between the monsters as they stared intently at each other. For a moment, she was worried that the bartender was really upset. Before she could ask if everything was okay, the two monsters burst into laughter. She couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"You know I'll pay it eventually."

Grillby snorted. "Yeah, when the place freezes over."

They both chuckled.

Sans turned his attention back to Frisk. "Well? Dig in."

She licked her lips and picked up her burger. It looked like a normal hamburger, bun and all. She sniffed it and scrunched her nose. Although the scent wasn't unpleasant, it wasn't exactly appetizing, either. It was as if it had been fried in vinegar.

Without giving herself a chance to change her mind, she opened her mouth and bit into the burger. She chewed slowly, not allowing herself to look down into her hands. She was pretty sure she didn't want to know what made it chewy. Instead, she let her senses be overtaken by the smoky taste of the meat and the soft, fluffy bun. It wasn't too bad.

She swallowed and took another bite, suddenly ravenous again.

Sans smirked at her before starting on his own burger. He raised his hand to get Grillby's attention and asked for the condiments. Grillby handed him a red bottle.

Frisk watched curiously as Sans drenched his burger and fries in what she assumed to be ketchup. She reached over and grabbed one of his fries. Sans caught her hand before she could take the bite.

"Drop it," he said seriously.

She looked at him with a smirk. "What, I can't share food with you?"

"That ain't what you think it is, now drop it."

Her smile dropped at the same time as her fry. "What is it?"

"You made me promise I wouldn't talk about that anymore." He gave her a look as he shoved a handful of dripping fries into his mouth.

She swallowed and nodded, realizing that she really didn't want to know what he chose to put on his food. "Okay." With that, she picked up her burger again and continued eating. "Why didn't I get fries?"

"Cuz they ain't fries. Not like what you know, anyway." He shoved another handful in his mouth. "You don't want these," he mumbled through the mouthful.

After they'd finished eating, Sans decided he was going to show her around. He'd take her to a few of the safer places and let her get accustomed to the area. Frisk agreed on the condition that she could get some different clothes. He was happy to agree.


	14. Discovering New Boundaries

Discovering New Boundaries Isn't Always Fun

"Why is everything so…tiny?" Frisk asked as she looked through a rack of clothing. She pulled out a blue shirt and held it up to herself. It would barely cover her tits.

Sans smirked. "That would look fuckin' sexy on you."

She gave him a look. "I get cold, Sans. You know that. I want to wear something that will actually cover my skin."

He plucked out another shirt and held it up. It was even smaller than the first one. This one was black with small red pinstripes. "Nice. Will you try this one on for me?"

"That's basically a bra."

He snorted. "You ain't gonna be wearin' a bra with this, sweetheart."

She blushed and looked around. A few other monsters were milling about, and she caught a few looking in her direction when he said that.

"Yeah, I will be. I like my boobs to stay in place when I walk around instead of bouncing all over."

Sans frowned. "I like it when they bounce."

She could hardly believe they were actually having this conversation in a public place. She stepped closer to him and whispered so hopefully only he could hear her. "Then they'll bounce when we're alone together, but not when I'm walking down the street, okay?"

He kissed her forehead. "I guess that'll work. I ain't got a clue where you'll find one, though."

"At my apartment. I have several there." She grinned up at him. "I also have clothes that will actually fit me."

He sighed. "Can't we pick out one outfit?" he asked. "You'd look sexy in anything they sell here."

With a huff, she took the red and black shirt from him and took a short, black skirt off the rack. "Fine, but only one."

"Try it on for me?" He smiled hopefully.

She gave in, rolling her eyes, and took the clothes to the changing rooms.

The moment she took her shirt off, she gasped. She hadn't even realized that her shoulder didn't hurt anymore, and now she knew why. She still had smears of dried plasma on her skin, but the marks Sans had left were gone. There wasn't even a small scar or a trace that he'd ever bitten her.

She scowled at it and scrubbed her hand over her skin to brush off the plasma. Not even a burn or a tingle. Dammit, she was looking forward to being marked by him.

With a huff, she continued changing her clothes.

Frisk was certain she'd never shown so much skin before in her entire life. The shirt barely covered her tits at all. If she lifted her arms, the bottoms of her boobs peeked out from under the shirt. This was certainly something she would not wear in public. The skirt was so short it barely reached the bottoms of her ass cheeks. Had she been wearing underwear, it might not have been such a big deal. As it was, she felt like she was about to walk out naked as she slid open the lock on the door and stepped out.

"Okay," she said, careful to keep her arms down and her hands on the sides of the skirt. "Are you happy now?"

Sans could only stare for a moment. He stepped up to her and put his hands on the tops of her arms. "Jesus fucking Christ, Princess." He leaned down and kissed her. "You are fucking sexy."

The look on his face made her feel even more naked than she already was. She blushed deeply and tried to cover herself.

"Notice anything different?" she asked, raising the shoulder that he had bitten.

"Mmm…nope." His eyes raked over her again, stopping at her hips for a moment.

She huffed again. "Sans, my shoulder." She dropped her voice to a whisper, uncomfortable but wanting answers. "My marks are gone."

Sans met her eyes before grinning. "Heh…I prob'ly should've realized—monster food has magic in it, and it must've healed ya. Sorry, Princess; guess I'll just hafta bite'cha again."

Frisk tried to step back; she didn't like the way he'd said that, as if he was going to do it right now.

"I'd like to change back."

"Not yet?" He kissed her again. "Just a few more minutes?"

She looked around, unnerved by how many people had actually stopped what they were doing to watch them.

"Sans, people are looking."

He growled. "I could fuck you right here in the middle of the store and not give a shit who sees it." His hands reached down to grab her ass.

She squeaked and jumped, reaching down to grab his carpals.

"You will not, Sans. I want to get changed."

He made an attempt at a pout. "Please?"

"Fucking hell, Sans, I'm not comfortable right now. I feel naked, and I don't want anyone but you see me like that. Can I _please_ change my clothes now?"

He had never pushed her to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable, but she was suddenly realizing that she didn't know this side of him very well. She swallowed hard and looked around again. The fear on monster's faces made her heart skip a beat. She looked up at him.

Sans sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, Princess." He kissed her one more time before he let her go.

As she changed back into her clothes, she felt the desire to burn the ones he'd liked on her. Her eyes watered, still feeling vulnerable and helpless even fully covered. She took a few minutes to breathe and push back a rush of unnecessary tears before she left the room. She made sure to take the too-small clothes with her, just to avoid making him angry.

She stopped to think about that. When was the last time she had ever done anything to make sure someone else didn't get angry? Sans had been there to protect her and shield her from having to do things that made her uncomfortable. He hurt people who wanted to make her feel the way he'd made her feel just now. Who would protect her from him? There was no one. If he decided he wanted to force her, she would have no recourse, no possible way to get out of it.

She sucked in a shuddering breath and pushed her fears aside. She wanted to trust him, but her mind could only replay his words from moments ago. The look on his face had told her he didn't give two shits what she thought about the situation.

She licked her lips and walked out. She realized as she rounded the corner that her boobs really did bounce a lot as she walked. She was suddenly nervous about that. It was something else that she only wanted Sans to be able to see. Nobody else should ever be allowed to witness her body like that. She handed him the clothes and wrapped her arms around her chest.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Sans asked.

She nodded, but a part of her was more upset at him than she realized. She was scared, and she didn't like it. She had to wonder if he did.

"I'm fine." She hadn't meant to snap at him. She heard a few gasps around her. She wanted to tell everyone to mind their own business, but she didn't dare. Sans obviously liked the attention.

Sans cleared his throat and put his arm around her shoulders to lead her to the front counter. The shop keeper rang up the items without a word. As she did, Sans thought about what had just happened by the dressing rooms. He had made Frisk uncomfortable and acted like he didn't care at all when she made that fact clear.

He pulled a few pieces of gold out of his pocket and tossed them on the counter when the shop keeper gave him his total. She smiled despite the fact that he'd only given her half of what she'd said and handed him a bag. She didn't dare ask him for the rest.

Frisk furrowed her brow. "Sans, you owe her fifteen more."

The woman looked at Frisk with wide, terrified eyes. "No," she squeaked. "This…this is fine."

Frisk shook her head. "No, you said thirty and he only gave you fifteen. He owes you the rest."

Sans chuckled and reached in his pocket for the rest. "Guess I'm in a good mood today." He dropped the rest of the change and wrapped his arm around Frisk's shoulders before she could say anything else.

"Thank you," the rabbit mumbled, carefully picking up the gold pieces from the counter.

Frisk felt eyes on her as they walked out of the shop.

They stopped a few feet away. Sans couldn't help but notice she still had her arms around her chest.

"What's the matter?"

She shrugged against his side. "Nothing."

"I can feel how uncomfortable you are. Talk to me."

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "I really need a bra."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

Frisk couldn't help but notice a few monsters from the shop had spread themselves out around the street, still watching them. It felt like she was suddenly on stage and everything she said to him was broadcast around her. She didn't like it.

"I want to go home."

"'Kay. And?"

She huffed. "Can you stop that?!" she all but yelled. "I want to go home, dammit! I don't want to have everything I say be something that other people…I don't ever, ever want to feel so vulnerable again, Sans. I haven't felt like that in fucking years, and never once with you. If you ever do that again…" she wasn't sure what she wanted to say, suddenly terrified that he would react badly.

Instead, he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her head. "I'm sorry, Frisk," he mumbled. "We'll go home now."

In an instant, they were back in his room. She closed her eyes and took a second to let her head settle. After a moment, she stepped away from him. She felt a little better now that there were no other prying eyes to witness her conversations with him.

"I meant my home," she mumbled.

Sans' brow bones furrowed. "Why?"

She sniffled and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Did I…I know I fucked up, Princess. I'm sorry, and it ain't gonna happen again."

She looked up at him. "The last time I felt that vulnerable was the night you killed Daryl." Tears started falling from her eyes. "I really thought you weren't going to let me change. I thought you were going to…I know you said you'd never push me, but now that we've had sex is that still true? Would you really have fucked me in the middle of the store with everyone watching?"

"No," he said without a pause. "And it'll be true no matter how many times you let me fuck you. Ain't no way I'll ever force you, Princess. You obviously ain't into public sex. I am, but there ain't no pleasure in askin' you to do somethin' you don't like."

He unzipped his jacket and shrugged out of it. Frisk wasn't sure what he was doing as he stepped up close to her and held it out to her. When she didn't take it, he draped it over her shoulders, pulled it closed around front, and zipped it up for her.

"Maybe that'll help you feel more covered."

Frisk was amazed at how warm the jacket was. She pushed her arms through the sleeves and laughed at how far her fingers were from reaching the end. There was a good five inches of sleeve left that just dangled at the end of her fingertips. She grinned and looked up at him. She truly felt shielded now, and it warmed her heart.

"Thank you."

He smirked and reached out to touch her cheek with the backs of his claws. "Anything for you, sweetheart. You still wanna go home?" He didn't like that idea, but he'd take her back if she really wanted to go.

She thought about that for a minute. She wanted to talk to him about what had happened, more than just the few words they'd already said about it. She wanted to know exactly where they stood now and how their relationship would be changing. She knew, without a doubt, that dynamics were different here. Monsters here were afraid of him, and she knew they had good reason to be. Did that mean he'd act differently around her?

If their first trip was any indication, the answer was probably not. Although he'd scared her, she had to admit that he would have acted that way if they were alone. And, had they been alone, she would have loved the idea of him fucking her in that outfit.

She'd never been in any kind of public place with him before. There had never been a conversation she'd had with him that wasn't just the two of them. In fact, she'd had to make sure nobody else could hear her conversations with him. It was something she was going to have to get used to.

She nodded. "Yeah." She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I need to get some stuff."

He sucked in a breath, nodded and pulled her in close, and teleported to her apartment.

He felt weird without his jacket, but he liked the way she looked in it. It completely drowned her, so big that the bottom hem hung just below her knees.

"Do you have a way to do laundry?" she asked, looking back at him.

Sans nodded. "Yeah." He had thought she was going to want to stay here. "Are we going back?"

With an armful of clothes, Frisk smirked at him. "I just wanted to get a few things, Sans. I don't want to stay."

He nodded. "Okay." He liked that idea much better. With that thought, he helped her get what she needed.

They made sure to grab some food as well so they didn't have to leave his room until she was ready for another excursion.

* * *

A/N: A few quick notes here:

First, people around them are going to act differently toward her when Sans is around. He's going to try to make sure he's always near her, but that's going to more difficult than he realizes. The peeps in the store were kind of hoping for a show, if you catch my drift. They know she's human. They don't like it, but they don't really dare challenge him. He's kind of known for being impulsively violent when he's pissed off.

Second, Frisk says this at the end of the chapter, but I want to reiterate it here: The two of them have zero experience actually existing the presence of other people in any kind of normal way. This is an adjustment both of them are going to have to make. Sans has experience with other partners in public, but his partners have all been basically sex buddies. He's never been in love before; hell, he never thought he _could_ love before. Because of that, he's learning that he has the ability to feel remorse for his actions. They'll discuss boundaries and other shit in the next chapter.

And last, thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart, for all the love you've given this story. I'm anticipating the full thing to be under twenty chapters, but I haven't finished writing yet. I've just started writing chapter sixteen, so we'll see how far this thing goes. Also, I thought I knew how this was going to end, but now I'm having second thoughts. My point, I guess, is that after the next chapter there may be a delay between updates if I can't make up my mind on keeping my intended ending or changing it.


	15. Communication Is Key

A/N: I need to say something here before we start the chapter.

First, this one is basically all dialogue. I know that can get annoying to some people, but I'm not going to apologize because I feel like it's all very necessary dialogue. Plus, you get a lot of answers in this chapter.

Second, BDSM in real life and BDSM in monster-hell-world are strangely similar, apparently. There are differences, however, and I made them that way on purpose rather than out of a misunderstanding of BDSM. First and foremost, Sans likes to be extremely public with his...affections. In my opinion (others may differ), a scene irl should never involve strangers that don't know what's going and didn't consent to viewing the scene. It violates the "consensual" part of the Safe, Sane, and Consensual rules of BDSM. I mean, really, it can violate all three depending on the reactions of those viewing. Also, Sans varies on what he considers to be safe and sane. Some of the things you'll see him suggest or do or whatnot are not exactly safe for Frisk. He knows this, but he also has the ability to heal her wounds where humans irl don't have that luxury.

So, yeah, just wanted to get that out there. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Communication is Key

"Is it weird that I think it's weird that you have everything down here?" Frisk asked as she stirred the meat in the pan on the stove.

Sans looked over at her. "Come again?"

She smiled. "I mean, you have a bathroom and a kitchen and a laundry room…I've never once seen you use any of those things before. It seems so…domestic." She had already had a shower and set up the bathroom with a few of her things and done a few loads of laundry.

He walked up behind her and kissed her shoulder. "Skeletons don't got no use for 'em, usually, but other monsters do. This place wasn't built just for me, so I gotta deal with shit I don't need." He put his hands on her hips and kissed her neck. He liked her hair up in the ponytail it was in; it gave him easy access to the sensitive skin at her neck. "Then again, maybe it's a good thing since you need that shit."

She turned her head and kissed his cheekbone. "If you didn't have them here, I couldn't stay. There's no way I'd deal with shitting in a bucket."

He snorted. "You're so delicate."

"I learned from the best."

"Guess I've been a pretty good influence on you, huh?" He pulled her hips back against his and rubbed his clothed dick against her ass. "I'd like to influence your pussy right now."

"No, I'm cooking."

"You can still cook." He started unbuttoning her pants.

She smacked his hands and turned to give him a look. "I said no." She did the button back up and turned back to the stove.

He sighed. "After you eat?"

"Maybe, if you're a good boy."

She was walking a thin fucking line. "I ain't no good boy," he growled.

She smiled at him and stood to kiss his cheekbone. "You will be if you want this pussy later."

He groaned. How far was he willing to let her take this? He figured he could give her a little wiggle room. "Don't push it, Princess."

She turned back to stir the meat again, pleased with herself and how she'd handled him. She couldn't help but grin to herself when he kissed her head, sighed into her hair, and went to do something else while she made her dinner.

He sat with her on the couch while she ate, declining every offer she gave him to have a bite. As soon as she was finished, he took her plate for her and set it on the floor to the side of the couch.

"Can I fuck you now?" he asked, his claws scratching gently up her leg.

Frisk licked her lips and scooted a little closer to him. "Actually, I think we need to talk about a few things first."

He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like what happened this morning."

"I apologized for that shit."

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know, but I have some questions." She took his hand and gently ran her fingers over his phalanges.

Sans sucked in a deep breath and decided he would just have to wait. He could feel her apprehension even if she didn't want to admit she was nervous. He kissed her head.

"What questions ya got?"

She took a second to think about how she wanted to word her insecurities. As she did, she focused on his hand under hers. His bones were held together seemingly by magic; there were spaces in between his phalanges and metacarpals. His claws were long and sharp, and yet he could touch her without hurting her. She loved how gentle he was with her most of the time; she also loved when he got roughly possessive of her.

She brought his hand up and kissed his knuckles.

"We kind of talked about this a little bit." She looked up at him. "I need you to know how I felt when you wouldn't let me change. And I'm not bringing this up because I'm mad or because I want you to feel bad, okay? I'm not looking for another apology, either. I just…I feel like I need you to understand."

He nodded, lacing his fingers with hers. "Okay."

"At first, I was just annoyed, but then people were watching us, and I felt so naked. I like that you want me the way you do, Sans. I…" She squirmed again, positioning herself so she could look up at him without removing her hand from his. "I've had you to myself pretty much my whole life. I've never had to censor myself around you because it's always been just us. Out there, it was made very, _very_ clear to me that I have to get used to this idea that people will know about us. I've had to hide you and pretend you weren't real around people in my world, and the sudden change here really shocked me."

Sans leaned his head down and kissed her. "Guess I didn't think of that."

"I didn't either. In fact, I was really excited to be able to be in public with you until it happened, and I didn't know how to act. I don't expect you to know how to be in a relationship with me, Sans. We're both learning as we go, and I know that. I honestly thought I'd be okay with the idea of sex in public with you until I was suddenly faced with that situation. Apparently, that's a big no for me."

He nodded. "I don't wanna make you feel like that again, sweetheart. I've had some time to think about it, and I could have been more…I guess I coulda listened to you better than I did."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheekbone. "Like I said, we're both learning. I would appreciate it if you took my denials a little more seriously in public. I know you were probably playing like you did while I was cooking. When we're alone, it's cute and sexy. Out there, it's scary."

He took his hand from hers to wrap both his arms around her and pull her onto his lap. She straddled his hips, making sure to sit back far enough that neither of them was distracted. He kissed her softly and gently ran his claws through her ponytail.

"I promise, from now on I'll be a better listener." Another kiss. "I ain't gonna promise that I won't scare you out there, but I can promise it won't be sex related."

She smiled against his teeth. "I can be okay with that."

"Anything else you wanna talk about?" he asked, hoping the answer was no.

She sucked in a breath and sat up straighter. She almost laughed at the look of dismay on his face. "What did you mean when you told Grillz that I'm your mate? And what did Boss mean when he said you'd lose me to your offspring?"

His brow bones shot upward. "Fucking Christ; I'd hoped you didn't catch that."

"Which part?"

He scowled. "The offspring part. If I get you pregnant, the baby will kill you." He leaned forward to put his forehead against hers. "It ain't as simple as fucking you; there's more to it than that. I want you more than I want a fucking kid."

Frisk wasn't sure what to think about that. "What if I want a kid?"

"You wouldn't live to see it. I don't just mean havin' my kid would be dangerous for you, I mean my spawn would rip your insides apart and eat 'em. _You would die_."

She let his words soak in for a moment. She couldn't deny that she was disappointed; she had been thinking about it at the back of her mind ever since she heard the words. All the same, she couldn't say she was exactly surprised that monsters were violent from birth.

"Is that with all monster pregnancies?" she asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, his forehead rubbing against hers. "No. Monster mothers give birth differently depending on the kind of monster they are. Monsters and humans ain't had relations like ours in a long time; ages, in fact. They ain't exactly banned, but after it was discovered that monsters eatin' their human mothers wasn't a fluke or one-time thing—it happened every single time—they just stopped. Boss and I's dad, he came from a human mother. I think he was the last one."

She perked up at the mention of his dad. "You have a dad! Well, of course you have a dad. Can I meet him?"

He huffed in amusement. "No. He's dead."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be; it's his own damn fault. He was meddlin' in stuff he shouldn't'a meddled in and got sucked into the void." He shrugged.

"The void? Like…the _void_ , void?" She'd heard of the void before; it was supposedly a place between universes where time and reality didn't exist.

"Yeah, it's real. He thought he could prove that alternate realities existed. He wasn't exactly a good father, okay? Boss and I…well, we both had our fair share of beatings thanks to his ass. Dumbass deserved what he got."

She nodded slowly. "So…what happened to your mom?"

He nuzzled the top of her head and held her a little tighter.

"After Gaster's—uh, Dad's—accident, she got real sad. Pa—Uh, Boss found her dust one morning, under a noose strung up in the living room. Guess she didn't want to be left alone with two asshole sons." He sucked in a deep breath. "After that, Boss decided carin' about people was a weakness. He just stopped. I'd never really cared for much to begin with, 'cept for Mom and Boss." He kissed her head. "Never did care about anything other than killin' again—a good fuck every now and then—'till I met you."

Frisk pulled back to look at him and raised a hand to his cheekbone. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He smirked. "'Sokay, Princess." He kissed her forehead. "Are you done, or you got more questions?"

"You really only answered one part of my question before—what about the mate part that Grillz was talking about?"

He rubbed her back, scratching lightly. "I fell in love with you, you love me back, and we fucked to seal the deal. You're my mate, and I'm yours."

"So, when I said I belong to you, I basically became like your wife or something?"

He smirked. "If you wanna put it in human terms, sure. Ain't exactly like that, though. More like you accepted bondage to me and only me."

"You don't quite understand human marriage, do you? That's pretty much the same thing." She ran her fingers up his jacket to his shoulders. "And you accepted bondage to me, too, right? Since you won't go around having sex anyone else."

"Guess you're right." He pulled her in and kissed her. "I'm a fucking married monster." He shook his head; he wasn't sure he liked that term.

She giggled and leaned in to rest against his chest. "I love you."

"Love you, too." He squeezed her gently.

"When you said you broke the rules, you said I wasn't supposed to be more than a human you'd eventually kill. Did you mean that?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Back when you were still a kid, I made a deal with Boss. I wasn't gonna leave you no matter what he said. I didn't realize the kind of hold you had on me at the time; I just thought I was obsessed and it would go away. So, when he agreed to let me stay with you, my part of the deal was that when I stopped feelin' attached to you, I'd kill you."

"Hmm." She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

His arms tightened around her. "I meant it when I told him I didn't try for any of this to happen. He was wrong, though; I do know what you mean to me. It's been building your whole life, starting out as a possessive obsession to keep you as mine, then changing into wanting to protect you from everything that wanted to hurt you. I didn't realize what it was until you asked me to keep my dick in my pants and it was so fucking easy to say okay. My soul knew I loved you way before I did."

She smirked and sat up. "It is so cute to see you, this huge scary skeleton, confessing that your soul loves me."

"I ain't cute," he grimaced.

"Oh, you're adorable."

"I'll pin you to the floor and fuck the shit out of you right now."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Is that a promise?"

"You're pushin' it, Princess."

She snuggled up to him again and kissed his clavicle through his jacket. "Yeah, but you love me. So, does that mean we're soulmates?" She couldn't express how much she loved that idea.

"Our souls ain't gonna mate. That's how we get offspring, and I ain't gonna let that happen."

She pursed her lips and sat back up again. "I meant something else, but this is interesting. How would souls mate to begin with? How is it different from regular sex?"

He pushed her back far enough to put a sturdy distance between their bodies. She sat on his knees, her arms down at her sides. Without a word, he put his hand to his chest and pulled outward. He loved the sound of her gasp as his soul appeared in front of him.

Frisk stared at the bright red, upside-down heart in his hand. It was cracked, darkened in some places, but so brilliantly beautiful. She raised a hand to reach out to it.

"Don't touch it," he said softly. "This is my soul, Frisk. I don't normally do this, but this is the best way to answer your question. I'm gonna pull yours out, okay?"

She looked up at him then. "Will it hurt?"

"It might hurt a little."

She swallowed but then nodded. "Okay."

He put his opposite hand on her chest. She felt a tug similar to when Boss had tossed her earlier. Instead of making her move, however, the tug turned into a sharp yank as he moved his hand back. She sucked in a quick breath as her own soul appeared before her. Hers was also red, but right-side-up and brighter than his.

She smiled brightly at him. "They're both red."

"Yep. Yours is red cuz you're a Determination soul. Make's sense—you're so fucking stubborn all the damn time. Mine's red because of all the blood I've shed." At least, that was his theory. He didn't actually know why monster magic had different colors.

She nodded again. "Guess you could say I was determined to love you."

He snorted. "Could say that, sure. When souls mate, something like this happens. It couldn't happen now because I pulled both our souls out. They gotta come out on their own to mate, and that usually happens during sex. The two souls combine, share magic, and create a new soul. That new soul would find a place in the monster's body to grow into a new monster. In your case, that would be your womb."

She nodded, wishing she could have that experience with him but understanding why she couldn't. "Thank you for showing me."

Sans gently pushed her soul back in before replacing his own. He then pulled her close and kissed her head.

"I have one more question, and then I'm done."

He sighed. "Aight. What is it?"

She sat up again and scooted close. "Why are people here afraid of you, and why did they seem terrified for me when I got snippy with you?"

He looked down at her. "That's two questions."

She just raised an eyebrow. He grunted.

"I ain't never hurt anyone sexually that didn't want it, okay, but you know I can get a bit…rough."

She snorted.

"Everyone I've fucked in that store—and other public places—have wanted it and have known that I use safe words and shit. If they wanted to stop, they'd use that word. If they don't use that word, I'm okay to be as rough as I wanna be and push them as far as I wanna push them despite them sayin' they don't want it. Some people around might not realize that and think I was rapin' a girl or some shit."

Frisk looked down at his jacket and sucked in a deep breath. She really didn't like him talking about being with anyone else, but she understood why he had to tell her. He couldn't exactly answer her question without it. At the same time, she felt a little ashamed that she wouldn't be able to satisfy all of his desires even though she'd already promised him that she wanted to.

"You okay, Princess?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

She leaned in again and snuggled into him, hoping his warmth would make her feel better.

Sans pushed her back enough to make her look up at him. "For what?"

"I said I wanted to satisfy all of your urges without really understanding what they were. I don't know that I'll ever be okay with—"

He put a claw over her lips. "I told you before there ain't no pleasure in askin' you to do something you don't wanna do. Maybe one day you'll wanna try it, maybe you won't. I got plenty of other urges you can satisfy. We'll need to decide on a safe word before I let you start."

She kissed his finger. "What's a safe word?" She'd heard the phrase before but had no context to know what it meant.

"You know I like violence. I like to be rough and cause pain and all that shit. I like to push it when you tell me to stop. A safe word is when you ain't playin' and you really want to stop, or if I hurt you too badly." He kissed her forehead. "I gotta warn ya, sweetheart, once we have a safe word, you'll need to use it when you really want to stop. Otherwise, I won't stop."

She nodded. "That's fair. You won't try in public, though, right?"

"Public is off limits; I'm okay with that."

"Good. What should our safe word be?" She looked up at him, a little excited.

He raised a brow bone. "You wanna make one now?"

"You want to pin me to the floor and fuck me, don't you?"

He shivered, the look in her eyes going straight through him to his forming dick. "Fuck yeah."

"Okay, then tell me how to make a safe word."

"It's gotta be somethin' not related to sex in any way, especially not tellin' me to stop." He nuzzled his face against her cheek.

"Pomegranate."

He pulled back. "What?"

"Pomegranate. I hate those little shits. I mean, yeah, they're tasty, but getting to the good parts is too much work and then they're all seedy and stain everything and you have to either chew or spit the seeds out and it's gross."

He laughed, leaning his head back on the couch. "Aight. Pomegranate it is. Remember, if I don't hear that word, I don't stop."

She nodded. "What if I don't want you to stop, but I need you to slow down or something like that?"

"That's sorta like a soft limit. Got any other fruit you don't like?"

"Um…I don't know. Maybe tomatoes?" She felt a little silly; she couldn't actually see herself saying that.

Sans pulled her closer and kissed her. "These are words you're gonna need to remember, Frisk. You're gonna need to feel comfortable enough to say them when you need me to stop or if somethin' scares ya or some shit. I don't want 'maybe's; if you're not sure you can use the word, then we won't use 'em."

She nodded again. "Okay. What would you suggest?"

He shrugged. "'Yellow' has been a pretty constant soft word for my partners. Safe words are different; if you're sure you're okay with pomegranate, then it can stay. You gotta pick that one."

"Okay. Yeah, I like pomegranate. I think I like yellow, too. I can remember that." She shifted forward, her hips brushing against his erection. She gasped a little and looked up at him.

He smirked at her and kissed her again. "How do you feel about bondage?"


	16. Aftercare is Important, Too

A/N: So, I've decided on my ending. There are a few little details I haven't quite worked out yet, but they're coming along. Expect a few more delays with the next few chapters, but hopefully once we get past some logistical points the story will flow again. Enjoy the chapter and the bondage sex wtihin :)

* * *

Aftercare is Important, Too

Frisk licked her lips. "Bondage?"

"Yeah." Sans' hands on her hips pulled her in slightly, just enough to shift her against him as he pushed upward. "Like your hands bein' tied behind your back, or bein' blindfolded…shit like that."

"I, um…I don't know. You want to tie me up?" Her eyes slipped closed as she shifted against him again.

"I want you tied up and helpless on the floor while I fuck you." He grunted and kissed her as his hands slid down her arms to her wrists. He gently wrapped his fingers around her hands and pulled them back behind her.

He shifted so they were both sitting up straighter, keeping eye contact with her as he crossed her forearms together and held them behind her with one hand. With his other arm, he pulled her close again.

"Kinda like this, but with rope."

Frisk shifted her hips and closed her eyes again. She wanted to hold him, but the way he held her arms made her feel dominated. She fucking loved it.

"I think I'll like bondage."

"'Course you will, Princess." He kissed her again before lifting her off of him. "Stay here; I'll be right back."

She watched him walk away and bit her lip. She would be lying out of her ass if she said she wasn't excited for what he was going to do to her when he came back. Her whole body seemed to tingle with anticipation when he came back with a rope in his hands.

"Come here." He held out a hand.

She got up and went to him.

He smiled down at her, the eagerness in her eyes getting him even hotter. He kissed her lips softly.

"First thing's first—you gotta get naked." He tossed the rope to the bed and lifted up on her shirt.

"Okay, but you're not allowed to touch my bra." She reached behind her and undid the clasps, letting it fall the floor in front of her.

He smirked at her. "You're just lucky it came off easy." With a wink, he helped her with her pants.

"What about you?" She reached up to the zipper of his jacket.

His hands on hers stopped her. "Not yet. Gotta get you situated first." He leaned in and kissed her. "Turn around, sweetheart."

She swallowed, her gut fluttering with anticipation as she did what he'd said. His hands went to her shoulders and rubbed gently for a moment before sliding slowly down her arms. Her skin shivered at the feel of his claws scratching her ever so slightly. She licked her lips and let out a soft breath as his fingers curled around her wrists.

She let him guide her movements entirely, not sure where to even start to help him. He leaned in and kissed her shoulder as he folded her forearms together behind her back. Holding her securely with one hand, he guided her closer to the bed where he picked up the rope and began wrapping it around her arms.

"Try to get free," he said softly after he'd tied the last knot.

She looked back at him. "Why?"

"I need to make sure it's secure enough but ain't too tight."

With a nod, she struggled against the restraint. Although the rope didn't cut into her, she was hopeless to escape. The realization that she was really trapped until he let her loose was strangely hypnotic. She licked her lips and looked back up at him.

"Nothing hurts?" he asked.

"Nothing hurts." Her voice was breathy.

Sans nodded and kissed her. Seeing her like this was intoxicating. After another kiss, he picked up a pillow from the bed and set it on the floor.

"I'm gonna help you down into position. Once you're in place, I ain't stopping unless I hear one of your words."

Her breath caught, and she could swear her face flushed. She was so ready for this. "Please."

"On your knees, Princess." He held her elbows to help her keep her balance as she lowered herself. He helped her set her knees at the right distance, then pushed lightly on the back of her neck to get her to lean over.

She finally understood what the pillow was for as she rested her face on it. Her ass was in the air, her knees far enough apart to make her feel wide open and exposed. The cool air around her was a stark contrast the warmth of her pussy. She licked her lips as her heart pounded against her chest. She just knew this was going to be an amazing experience as he knelt next to her and asked again if she was comfortable.

"I'm so good, Sans."

He smirked and leaned in to kiss her cheek. He got up and looked her over. She had the sexiest curves to begin with, but down in one of his favorite positions and unable to get up without his permission, he felt a longing he'd never experienced before. His soul cried out to claim her, love her, and care for her. He'd had a good many women in this position, and not a single experience held a candle to just seeing Frisk ready for him.

"Sans?" Frisk was starting to get a little worried as he just stood there staring at her.

Sans cleared his throat. "Just appreciating the view, Princess."

He walked around her, getting a good look from all angles. He liked the view from behind the best. He knelt down behind her and lightly dragged his claws over her ass cheeks. He loved her sharp intake of breath and the soft moan that followed. He continued to scratch her down her thighs as he leaned in and kissed her left ass cheek. He bit down gently, just enough to draw a little blood. Her body jerked against his face and she whimpered. He smirked and bit her again.

He kissed her skin lower, taking his time as he made his way to her pussy. He could feel her radiating heat getting stronger the closer he got.

"You smell good, sweetheart," he mumbled against her skin. He licked her once, a strong stroke from her clit to her ass. "Goddamn, you're fucking soaked. You like this, don't you?"

"Yes," Frisk moaned in response. "I want you to fuck me now."

He smirked. "You don't give orders, Princess; you take 'em." He kissed her again before he gave her another hard lick.

Frisk closed her eyes, wishing he would just give her what she was craving. Not that she didn't like what he was doing, because hot damn he knew how to work her body, but she really needed his dick in her. She struggled lightly against her binding, a part of her thinking she could at least reach down and touch him. A blast of desire shot through her as she struggled harder.

His claws dug into her thighs as he licked her clit. Her attempts at squirming and the sounds she made went straight to his cock. He wanted her to cum before he did anything else. He would show her just how good he could be to her. His thumbs spread her ass cheeks a little wider as the tip of his tongue found her entrance. He pushed in slowly, thoroughly enjoying the taste of her desire as she cried out for him to fuck her with his tongue.

After a few strokes, he went back to her clit and focused on making her orgasm. He knew she was close when her toes started to curl, and her stomach tightened. She bit down on the pillow as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her orgasm ripped through her, leaving her chest heaving and her heart pounding.

Sans pulled back and kissed her one more time before standing up to remove his clothing. He got into position behind her and rubbed his cock a few times before putting his tip at her entrance.

"You ready for this?" he asked, gently scratching her lower back.

Frisk moaned softly and nodded against the pillow. "Please, Sans," she begged. "Please fuck me."

He pushed in then, sinking into her in one smooth motion. Her answering moan caused him to release one of his own. God, her pussy had never felt so good. As he began thrusting, he leaned over her enough to see her face. His claws dug into her hips, holding her steady as his hips slammed into her.

Frisk closed her eyes tightly as pain and pleasure mixed together. She wanted so badly to reach behind her and grip his hand in hers. She struggled against her bonds again, taking even more pleasure in knowing that she was entirely at his disposal. She wouldn't be moving from this position until he was ready for her to move.

"Tell me how it feels, sweetheart," Sans commanded. "Tell me how much you like my cock."

"You're so deep," she whined. "God, you're so deep. I can feel you everywhere, Sans, and it's amazing. Please, don't stop."

He grunted and pushed a little harder into her. "I ain't stoppin' 'til you cum on my dick."

It didn't take long. His claws dug in deeper, causing her to gasp as a new sensation washed over her. Warm blood trickled down the outside of her thighs at the same time as her desire ran down the insides. She closed her eyes tightly, letting each sensation take her ever closer to the inevitable end. His movements inside her hit against something glorious with each thrust in, and soon her toes were curling again.

"God, Sans," she wailed desperately, "please, please…oh, god!" Her body broke open, clenching tightly and making her wish she could reach out and grip the pillow in her hands. Her fingers clenched into tight fists, twisting as she attempted to grip the rope.

Sans' hands on her moved up to grip her waist, one hand holding hers as he leaned over her a little more. He ground against her, so close to his own end. His claws dug into the new flesh at her waist, causing her to cry out and her body to shudder once more.

He let himself go after a few more thrusts. His cock throbbed inside her as he came, filling her as he cried out in rapture. He pulled out, smiling at the small whimper she made. He stood up, breathing heavily, and looked her over.

Her bottom half was covered in smeared blood. He'd done a number on her hips, the wounds there still bleeding. He'd scratched her side more than he'd intended to. The sight of her covered in blood made him feel strangely nauseous. He liked it, and he knew she'd liked it, too, but something about it was wrong.

He cleared his throat and got down on his knees to kiss her cheek as he started to untie her. "How are you?"

She smiled and looked up at him with tired eyes. "I think I'm starting to hurt a little. Can you heal my side?"

He nodded and ran a hand over her wounds, pulsing healing magic into her. She winced, but then her smile softened.

He pulled the rope away from her arms and helped to sit up on her knees. She winced again as she gingerly stretched her arms. He rubbed her shoulders softly, being careful not to scratch her again.

"How're your hips?"

She hissed as she tried to shift. "Yeah, they hurt." She looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry; can you—"

He cut her off with a kiss and ran his hands over both of her hips to heal them.

"Don't be sorry," he said after he pulled back. "Never be sorry for askin' to be healed. The only reason I would ever take it so far with you is cuz I _can_ heal you." He kissed her again and brought a hand up to lick her blood off his fingers. "You wanna take a bath?"

She leaned into him and nodded. "Yeah. My muscles are a little sore, too, but in a good way. Damn, Sans, that was incredible."

He helped her to stand and walked her to the bathroom. Once the water had been run, he helped her to get in the tub.

She gripped his fingers as he started to pull away. "Won't you take it with me?" she asked.

He smirked and gave in easily. The tub really wasn't big enough for the both of them, but they made it work. If he was being honest with himself, sitting in the warm water with her like this was almost as nice as the sex had been. He helped her to clean the blood from her body and tried to massage her aching muscles as much as he could with his claws.

Frisk leaned back against his ribcage and sighed happily.

"I really love you, Sans."

He kissed her hair. "I love you, too, Frisk. What did you like most about that position?"

She snuggled into him as much as she could in her position. "Feeling helpless to move, but at the same time knowing you would give me what I need. I really liked it when you held my hand."

He nodded. "Anything you didn't like?"

She nuzzled against him, turning just enough to kiss his sternum. "Not anything I didn't like, really, but if I were to ask for anything to change next time, it would be for you to not dig into my side. That was almost too much." She looked up at him. "Aside from that, it was pretty much perfect."

He smirked and kissed her lips. "I'll remember that."

After their bath, Frisk was tired. It had been a long day. She decided not to get dressed but put a bandage over the wounds on her ass cheek. They weren't bad enough to need to be healed, and she was honestly happy that she'd get scars from him after all.

They climbed into bed, and Frisk cuddled up to Sans' side. He wrapped an arm around her to hold her close. She laid her head on his ribs and kissed him softly.

"Sleep well, Frisk," Sans said gently. He held her a little tighter. "I love you."


	17. Never Ask What Could Go Wrong

A/N: I'm pretty sure nobody saw anything like this happening, like at all. *sarcasm alert*

Okay, guys, from this point forward, this story is going to take a bit of a darker turn. Yeah, I know, that really is possible. This chapter is kind of a set-up that's going to get us to new places, so I guess I'm kinda sorry for the shortness of it? But not really?

Also, I feel like I need to remind everyone that this is a dark fic. Yes, it's romantic and has sexy times, but it's borne out of this author's need for violence. There will be a lot of that coming up.

Anyhow...enjoy!

* * *

Never Ask What Could Go Wrong

"Sans, I want to come!" Frisk huffed indignantly and put her hands on her hips. "You can't keep me cooped up in the house all the time!"

Sans growled. "And I ain't gonna let you run around by yourself, neither. If I can't stay by your side, you ain't leavin' this house."

"Are you actually going to work then, or are you just talking to your brother?"

She knew the answer to that. She shifted her weight and crossed her arms over her chest, staring him down with a look he knew meant she wasn't going to back down.

"Dammit, Frisk."

"Are you afraid I'm going to get scared if I hear about what you'll be doing? Because I already know what you'll be doing. Granted, I don't know _all_ the details, but I already know you eat people."

Sans sucked in a deep breath and brought a hand up to rub his skull. "Why do you even wanna come? You'll get bored. We're just talkin' about what's changed since the last time I worked this job."

Frisk nodded. "Okay, then. I'm coming." She waltzed over to the closet and took out her coat.

"You're gonna be the fuckin' death of me, Princess."

She grinned up at him. "You love me."

"I guess so."

* * *

"THERE ARE A FEW OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO SEE," Boss said as he handed Sans a paper. "A FEW THINGS HAVE CHANGED WITHIN THE FACILITY. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU TODAY, BUT…" He glanced over at Frisk.

"Yeah, not today." Sans shook his head.

Frisk looked between them. "Why not today?"

"Cuz I ain't leavin' you alone."

She huffed; she didn't like the tone in his voice, as if she were stupid for not understanding. She crossed her arms. "What could happen to me here?"

Sans rolled his eye lights. "You're really gonna ask that question?"

"Uh, yeah, I am. Sans, I'm in a secure building, right? I'm safe here?" She looked between Sans and Boss for a second. "Besides, it's not like Boss would let anything happen to me."

Boss scowled at the idea of being brought into their argument. "CERTAINLY NOT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE POINT HERE."

Frisk stood up and went to Sans, putting her hands on the front of his jacket. "Sans, I'll be fine. You won't be gone long, and I'll stay right here. I won't try to go anywhere. I'll be in this room the whole time."

Sans looked at Boss for a second. Frisk did have a point; they were in a safe place. It was probably even safer than his home, if he let himself be honest. He sucked in a breath.

"I don't want her to be alone. Where's that little fucker you order around?"

Boss whistled. All three were silent for a moment until the door opened. Charles limped in.

"Yes, Boss?" he asked, his voice shaking a little.

"I HAVE A JOB FOR YOU."

The rabbit looked up and swallowed. "Yes, sir?"

Boss gestured to Sans. Sans scowled at the little monster. "You're gonna stay here with Frisk. Boss 'n' I'll be gone maybe twenty minutes. Anything happens to her, and I'll skin you nice 'n' slow before I pull your organs out one by one, you understand me?"

"Sans, is that really necessary?" Frisk asked, shifting her weight to one leg.

Sans gave her a look. "Yes."

Charles swallowed. "I promise, she will be safe with me."

Sans pulled Frisk in for a hug and kissed her head. "She fuckin' better be."

* * *

The doors swung open, and Frisk turned happily to greet Sans. He hadn't been gone nearly as long as he'd thought he would be. Her smile fell when she saw that it wasn't Sans at all.

Four tall monsters came in the room. Two were bear monsters, one a lizard with a scar across its face, and the last a wolf with a club in its paws.

Charles swallowed hard and gently tapped on Frisk's leg. "Get behind me," he said solemnly. They both knew he couldn't do much to protect her.

"We came for the girl," the taller bear monster said with a sneer. "Don't give us no trouble, and we won't have ta hurtcha."

Charles cleared his throat. "I'm under strict orders _from Boss_ to keep her here." He held his head up as high as he could, hoping that the knowledge he worked for Boss would be good enough to scare them away.

No such luck. The lizard monster chuckled. "And we're under strict orders to take her. Guess we got ourselves a di-lemma." He emphasized the first syllable of the word.

The wolf stepped forward, swinging his club as though he were practicing for baseball. "You might wanna step aside, Chuck," he growled. "It'd be sad if Boss lost another messenger cuz you was too stupid."

Charles shook his head and pushed Frisk back another few steps. "No, I won't let you do this."

Frisk looked between the monsters and hoped Sans could feel her rising fear. He'd always said he could; she was certain he'd been telling her the truth all these years. She closed her eyes and focused on him, hoping somehow, he could hear her calling for him.

"Step outta tha way, little guy. Our beef ain't with you."

Frisk opened her eyes to see the wolf monster had come closer still. Charles refused once again. When the wolf lunged for Frisk, Charles jumped and kicked the monsters arm out of the way.

Frisk stumbled backward and watched with horror as the wolf snarled in anger and raised his club. He gave Charles no warning before he brought it down hard on the rabbit monster's skull. He pulled back only to hit him again. Again. Charles' body was turning gray with each hit, puffs of dust spraying out as each hit brought him closer to death.

Frisk screamed and ran forward to try to help the rabbit. One of the bears caught her and pulled her close to him, forcing her to watch as the wolf continued his beating. She cried harder when the final blow was dealt and all that was left of Charles was a small pile of dust. The wolf kicked the pile, spreading the dust out and crushing some into the carpet before he finally turned around.

"Fuckin' asshole," the wolf growled. "He fuckin' put a hole in my favorite jacket." He held out the arm Charles had kicked only to see where his back claws had damaged the fabric.

"Guys, we gotta get outta here. Boss 'n' Sans'll be back any time."

Frisk struggled against the bear. "Sans is going to kill you all," she spat.

The bear holding her chuckled. "Sure, sweetheart. Keep tellin' yerself that." He hoisted her up and dug his claws into her back to keep her from struggling too much. "Make a sound, and I'll rip your fuckin' spine out."

She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut as they carried her out of the room.


	18. Maybe Pissing Sans Off is a Bad Idea

A/N: Warning, guys and gals. This chapter is intense. Let me tell you what we've got here: we have violence, rape, more violence, gore, Sans being generally pissed...yeah. Tread carefully? If you want to skip the rape part, it's the third 'section' in. It won't impact your ability to understand what happens as long as you don't pretend it didn't happen. Aight? Aight.

For those of you wondering why he can't just find her like he normally can, there are a few reasons. First, he was distracted by what Boss was showing him to feel when she first started getting scared. Second, by the time he realized she was missing and scared, he was too upset to focus. You ever have a really simple fix to a problem but you're too emotionally frazzled to realize it? Yeah. That's Sans at the beginning of this chapter. Boss knows they have a connection, but he doesn't know that Sans has the ability to feel her the way he does, which is why he doesn't suggest that fix.

With that, let's get this party started.

* * *

Maybe Pissing Sans Off is a Bad Idea

The first thing Sans noticed when they entered the room was that Frisk wasn't there. The second was the scattered pile of ashes near a table in the middle of the room. Something dark tugged at his soul and told him that he knew who those ashes belonged to.

He and Boss had been longer than they'd anticipated; some of the changes were too good to just glance at. Sans wanted to explore while he had a minute to do so.

"Frisk?" Sans called, looking around the room he'd left her in. He could feel her fear. Wherever she was, she was terrified. "Princess, this ain't funny. Where are you?" He knew in his soul that she wasn't in the room, but he wouldn't let himself believe that. She was hiding from him, getting back at him for the times he'd pretended to be gone.

"SANS," Boss said from behind him. "SANS, SHE'S NOT HERE."

Boss swallowed hard; he'd been the one to promise that she would be fine. He knew Sans would blame him. He also knew Sans wouldn't take that lightly.

Sans reached out and grabbed the door frame to steady himself. Wherever Frisk was, she was getting more and more scared by the second. His claws dug into the metal of the frame as he turned to glare at Boss.

"What happened to her?" he growled.

Boss held up his gloved hands. "I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS. I WILL HELP YOU FIND HER, SANS, BUT PLEASE BELIEVE ME THAT I HAD NO IDEA THIS WOULD HAPPEN."

Sans' eyes started to glow, his claws digging further into the metal. "Where is she?"

"SANS, DON'T BE STUPID."

Sans reached out and gripped Boss' soul, pulling him close enough to feel his breath on his face. "Tell me where the fuck she is before I crush you to dust."

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WILL HELP YOU. BROTHER, I'M NOT TRYING TO KEEP YOU FROM HER. PLEASE, LET ME HELP."

After a moment of staring each other down, Sans realized that Boss wasn't lying to him. His soul lurched as he let Boss go. He didn't even know where to start. Any monster in the underground would want her dead simply because she was human.

However, not many monsters would have the guts to do what had just been done. Whoever had taken her had done so almost out from under him. They had to have planned this, watched her to find a moment when she was vulnerable. That meant they had to have been in the building.

Boss was on the same page, thinking the same thoughts Sans had been. "I THINK I MAY KNOW WHO TOOK HER."

* * *

Frisk clenched her fists tightly, somehow hoping the harder she did so the more likely it would be that her wrists would magically become unbound. Instead, they remained chained above her head. Her chest heaved with wild breaths as her heart pounded painfully against her chest.

She couldn't remember ever being so scared in her whole life. Not even when Sans had first started as her monster. Back then, he'd make noises and make her bed shake, but he never once touched her. He never tied her up and threatened to physically harm her.

Sobs ripped through her body as she dangled helplessly. Her bare toes barely touched the concrete beneath her feet. She made an attempt at putting some pressure on her toes to relieve some of the strain in her shoulders, but it only seemed to make matters worse.

"What do you want?" she screamed, looking around her for any sign that the monsters had returned. They hadn't. She was alone in a cold room, hanging by chains around her wrists. All around her, the walls were cracked and seemed to ooze some dark substance. It reminded her of a vague memory, something buried deep inside her psyche. It wasn't a pleasant one. The scent around her was like death; dusty with a hint of rusty blood.

"Sans!" Her voice was hoarse from screaming his name, hoping against hope he'd hear her somehow.

A loud clang reverberated around the room as a door opened behind her. She tried to turn herself to see what it was, but she had no control. She shivered against the chilly air.

"Sans?" Her voice was a small whimper.

The high-pitched chuckle that answered her told her it was not Sans. She swallowed and tried not to cry. Despite her efforts, more tears fell down her cheeks.

Her eyes caught the sight of a coyote monster circling her. He stepped in front of her and grinned wickedly.

"Damn, they wasn't lyin' to me. This is great." He reached out and touched her cheek. She tried to pull away. He frowned and scratched her, leaving a bleeding mark behind. "Y'know, Sans used to be the best. One look from him would have monsters cowering in fear. You made him soft. I mean, the asshole actually cares about you. The fuck did you do to him?"

Frisk sniffled. "It wasn't my fault," she whimpered.

"Bullshit. You did somethin' ta him. But, y'know what? I'm gonna forgive you for that. Wanna know why?"

She didn't dare move.

"It's cuz when he finds you dead, his soul is gonna be so fucked up over it that I'll be the stronger one. I'll kill him, then I'll be the top monster around. Get it?"

She sniffled, still trying to stay as motionless as possible.

The monster raised a paw and slapped her across the face. "I asked you a question, bitch. You better fuckin' answer me."

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes, I get it."

"Good."

She decided that if she was going to have to interact with this asshole, she'd make it worth her while. "You're wrong, though." She raised her head as much as was possible. "When he finds me, he'll kill you."

The monster snorted. "You don't got a clue who you're talkin' to, bitch. Keep your nasty human mouth shut."

"We're soulmates, Sans and me. He'll find me, and he'll be _pissed_. You won't stand a chance." She narrowed her eyes at the monster.

He roared and hit her again, this time making sure he clawed her face open in the process. She cried out and gently licked at the blood on her split lip.

"I'm fuckin' Canis Iatrans, bitch!" He hit her again, opening a few new cuts across her cheek.

Frisk sucked in as deep a breath as she could in her position and chose to keep quiet this time.

Canis glared at her for a minute before a wicked smile crossed his face. "Y'know, I bet we have plenty of time to play a few games before we have to kill you. I know my guys were wondering what that human pussy was all about."

He walked away, leaving Frisk to wonder what he had meant.

* * *

Frisk wished she were back up on the chain. She would give anything to be back there, dangling by her wrists. Please, she begged silently. Please, let her go back there.

Instead, she was naked and on her knees in the middle of the room. Her arms had been tied behind her back in a way far too similar to how Sans had done to her. These monsters didn't make her lean over, however. Instead, they seemed to want her sitting up. She didn't want to know why.

She heard laughter as the monsters came back from wherever they had gone. Canis had apparently gone to get the four monsters that had abducted her.

They didn't bother with explanations. They didn't need to, Frisk thought. Their actions were explanation enough. Canis gestured for the wolf to go first. The wolf grinned and took off his jacket, laying it gingerly aside before he stepped up to her, unbuckling his belt along the way.

Frisk's eyes widened. "No," she said, her voice shaking. "No, you don't want to do that. I'm human!" They despised humans, didn't they? She was supposed to be disgusting to them, right?

The wolf chuckled. "Oh, such a naïve little bitch. Humans got shit monsters don't got. I fucked a lotta monsters, but I ain't never fucked a human." His pants dropped to reveal a strangely furry dick. "Bite me, and I'll rip your fucking teeth out."

She swallowed. "Please, I don't want—"

He grabbed her hair and slapped her. "Shut up and suck my cock, bitch." He grabbed his dick and shoved it into her mouth.

Frisk tried to move away, to turn her head, to do anything that might stop this from happening, but she was helpless. The monsters claws in her hair dug into her scalp and forced her to hold still. She wanted so badly to bite down on him, but his warning echoed in her thoughts. She knew she wouldn't get a second chance.

Tears fell down her face as he thrust into her mouth, choking her in the process. After a few hard thrusts, he held her close to him, her gag reflex causing her to nearly throw up on him as he made it impossible for her to breathe. He finally pulled back and she gasped in air as she coughed and gagged again.

"Pomegranate," she cried, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

The monster ignored her. "That mouth is nice, but I bet that pussy's better."

Canis watched with a grin on his face as his boys took advantage of Frisk. She was surprisingly agile, he thought. Sans must have loosened her up pretty good. She cried out in pain and begged them to stop. Canis just laughed at her.

* * *

Sans had to take a minute to breathe as he and Boss tried to figure out where Frisk had been taken. He didn't want to stop, but something in his soul was forcing him down, almost like he was being dragged to the floor. The fear and pain he felt pouring off of Frisk sent him reeling.

"SANS, WE CAN'T STOP NOW. IF I'M RIGHT, THEY WILL KILL HER."

Sans knew he was right. Canis had been gunning for Sans for decades; long before he'd been assigned to Frisk. He was jealous of Sans' magic and somehow had it in his head that if he could kill Sans, he'd be the most feared monster in hell.

That thought jogged something in Sans' memory. Nearly four decades ago, Canis had been promoted and Sans was assigned to train him. Canis didn't want to be trained; he thought he already knew everything he needed to know. Sans had tested that theory only to find that Canis was all talk and no show. Sans had laughed at the coyote, saying he'd never be more than a tough act if he didn't get his shit together.

"I think I know where they are."

Without explanation, he grabbed Boss' arm and teleported.

The moment they appeared in the hallway, he knew he was right. The smell of her blood and her heightened fear hit him like a wrecking ball. He fell against the wall and gasped in a breath.

Boss laid a hand on his arm, silently offering support. Despite his earlier detachment, he had seen how good the human had been for his brother. The changes in him had reminded him of a softer Sans, his brother back when they were children. He didn't want to see his brother in pain anymore.

Sans nodded and stood back up. He shook himself before gathering his magic. He had to be careful, he told himself. He couldn't just shoot; he had to be able to aim. After one more nod, he stepped forward and kicked down the door.

The sight before him nearly brought him to his knees. Frisk was on the floor in the middle of the room, four monsters crowded around her as they took her in ways only he should ever be allowed to. Her arms were tied behind her back and something was shoved in her mouth to keep her from screaming.

All motion stopped the moment he stepped in.

"Fuck." Canis stepped back an inch. He had thought he'd have more time.

Sans' eyes glowed dangerously bright with magic. "Get. _Away_. From. Her." He growled deeply. His hands burst into flame.

Each monster around Frisk moved away carefully, too afraid to move too quickly.

"Boss, get her covered and out of the way."

Boss nodded and immediately went to do as he was asked. His claws sliced easily through the rope binding her arms, and he took a cloth out of her mouth. He held it up for a second before he realized it was her underwear. He grimaced and tossed them away as though they were poisonous.

Canis took a half a step toward Sans. "Sans, listen—"

Sans gripped his soul and pulled him close. "Listen to _this_ , fucker: I'm going to kill each of your little puppets, then I'm going to kill you. None of you get mercy, none of you get a quick death. I'll make you suffer."

Boss couldn't find anything to cover Frisk with, so he took off his cloak and draped it around her before pulling her into his chest and moving her to the side of the room. He figured the best way to help his brother at this point was to keep his soulmate safe. She shook violently against him, crying so hard she couldn't breathe.

"How you gonna take us all at once?" the wolf asked as he stepped forward. "There's five of us against one'a you."

Sans reached out his other hand to grip the wolf's soul and lifted him into the air.

"You really think it's a good idea to challenge me like that?" Sans growled. He gripped tightly, causing the wolf to howl in pain. "You all know what I'm capable of. You all know what I've fucking done, and you still choose to fuck with me through someone I love? Wrong fucking move."

He squeezed his hand again and the wolf began to fall into dust. He wriggled helplessly, clawing at his chest as he tried to get any kind of relief. One more squeeze of his fist and the wolf's soul crumbled. His final howl echoed throughout the room.

Sans shoved his other hand forward, sending Canis flying into the far wall. A barrage of bones shoved outward from the wall into his body, piercing him in several places. The coyote cried out in pain, but Sans chose to leave him there. With a flick of his wrist, the bones in the wall began to twist, tearing the wounds they'd created and widening them as the coyote howled and tried to get away.

He turned to the other three and threw an attack of bones at them. The two bears managed to dodge the worst of the attack. The lizard wasn't fast enough. A bone pierced him through the soul. He screamed and fell down as Sans threw another attack.

The bears ran forward, attempting to attack back. Sans gripped their souls and threw them both to the back wall before slamming them to the ground. He let one go only to pin him to the ground with magic. He grabbed the other's soul with both hands. He pulled apart, and the bear screamed. His head stretched unnaturally before he felt his scalp starting to tear. His skull cracked in multiple places, creating a lateral crack down the middle of his head. His face began to cave in as he screamed again. Suddenly, his head split into two. The split quickly tore down the rest of his body before he fell to dust.

The other bear met the same fate. One more attack at the lizard, and his dust joined the wolf's on the floor.

Sans reached out and grabbed Canis' soul, ripping him free from the bones on the wall.

"Anything else you wanna say?" Sans asked.

Canis dangled as though he were already dead and pitifully shook his head.

Sans shrugged and threw him down to the ground. He walked up slowly, magic sparking at his fingertips as he did. He picked up the coyote without magic. He wanted to feel this monster break. Without a word, he dug his claws into the coyote's stomach.

Canis screeched in pain and tried to curl in on himself to prevent this from happening. Sans ripped his hand out, pulling a long cord of intestine with it. He held it up to the monster's mouth.

"Eat it, you bastard."

Canis opened his mouth obediently. He winced at the taste of his own magic. Sans shoved his fist into the monster's mouth, savoring the sound of his guts squelching and tearing against his teeth.

"You thought you could take her away from me?" He growled deeply. The coyote was dull in color, a sign he was close to dusting. "You thought you and your puppets could hurt me like that? You fucking thought wrong."

Without another word, he slammed his fist into the other monster's chest and ripped out his soul. He crushed it in his fist, a satisfied smile on his face as the coyote crumbled to dust.

Sans stood there for a moment, breathing heavily and not sure what to do next. He looked over at Boss who was still holding Frisk. He had to take a minute to calm down before he touched her. He didn't want to hurt her.

"SHE COULD USE YOUR JACKET, SANS," Boss said. His cloak didn't cover much.

Sans immediately shrugged out of it and walked it over to them. He handed it to Boss, his bones shaking. Killing monsters was a little different than killing humans. He felt an increase in his magic every time he killed a monster. After killing five in a row, he felt like he might burst into flame. He didn't dare touch Frisk.

"Will you…help me get her home?" His voice shook, too.

Boss nodded and gingerly stood up with the still-shaking human. She clung to Boss' shirt. Although she knew she was safe now, she was almost afraid this was a dream. She was afraid she had passed out and would wake up to them still hurting her.

Sans didn't teleport. He walked alongside Boss and glared daggers at every single monster they passed. He'd make sure the entire fucking underground heard about the monsters who thought they'd get the better of him by hurting his soulmate, along with the fate they'd met.

Once home, Boss set Frisk gently on the bed. Sans thanked him. Boss just nodded before he left. He'd come back for his cloak. As it was, it was covered in shit he didn't want to wear.

Sans leaned back against the door after Boss left. After a moment, he pushed away and walked over to Frisk. Her eyes were closed, but he could see her chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths. He knelt next to the bed and gingerly moved a piece of hair out of her face.

Frisk was jolted awake. Her eyes landed immediately on Sans' face. Tears burned and quickly started to fall again. Her lips trembled as she tried to reach out to him. Her arms hurt so badly she could barely move. She winced with the pain in her shoulder.

"Don't move, sweetheart," Sans said softly. "I need to heal you."

She nodded, barely moving her head. She shivered as he started to unzip his jacket.

He maneuvered her out of it before tossing it and Boss' cloak to the side. Sans felt his soul clench at the sight of her bruised body in front of him. He sucked in a breath and gently touched her damaged cheek. He checked her over, taking his time and being as thorough as he felt he could be. With each and every pulse of healing magic, he felt himself regret how quickly he'd killed the monsters. He wanted to go back and do it again, slower this time. He wanted to make sure they suffered the way she'd suffered. He'd make them feel the pain of being ripped apart from the inside out.

Once she was healed, he picked her up and took her to the bathroom. She didn't say anything as he bathed her, gently cleaning away all evidence of what she'd gone through. He wished it was so easy to heal the emotional scars he knew she'd be left with.

After the bath, he helped her stand long enough to towel dry her, then they walked together back to the bed. He laid next to her and let her snuggle up to him. His arm wrapped around her loosely.

Frisk still couldn't bring herself to say anything as she laid next to him. She wanted to have words to say to make things better, but somehow, she was certain those didn't exist. Instead, she gripped his shirt in her hands and buried her face in his shoulder as more tears welled in her eyes. He held her as she cried, closing his eyes and hoping that, if nothing else, he could offer her some form of comfort.


	19. Victim Blaming Isn't Cool

A/N: So I realized that I never actually gave you guys an update on this, but we are definitely going past 20 chapters. Maybe 25? We're closing in on the end, but we're not there yet.

* * *

Victim Blaming Isn't Cool

 _I'm sorry._

The words rolled around in her head, demanding to be said. How could she possibly apologize for what she had done?

She hadn't slept very well the night before. She'd woken up screaming twice. Sans had been there both times to remind her that she was safe and that he was there for her. She'd clung to him as if just doing so could make everything better.

She sucked in a deep breath and reached out to the empty spot Sans had been occupying not ten minutes ago. He'd gotten up to get her some breakfast after her stomach grumbled. She didn't feel like she could eat, but she had a feeling he would make her if he had to.

The day before had started out so peacefully. They'd gotten up and made out in the kitchen while she burned some bacon. Really, the only thing that had stopped them from having sex right there in the middle of the kitchen floor was a knock at the door. He'd pulled away from her promising only a quick break before he'd be back to finish what they'd started.

She had picked at her bacon while he talked with the person at the door—it had been Charles with a message from Boss about getting back into interrogating and torturing. He'd seemed excited about the opportunity. Frisk was just happy he was going to start talking to Boss again.

Then she had to go and make him take her with.

She closed her eyes and pulled the blanket around her tighter. If she had just listened to him, none of this would have happened. But no, she'd gotten greedy to spend as much time with him as possible. She was curious about where he'd be working, sure, but it wasn't the reason she had fought to go with him. She just wanted to be near him as much as she could be.

New tears filled her eyes as she thought about that.

She didn't get much more time to dwell on it. Sans came back with a sandwich on a plate for her. He helped her to sit up and sat next to her as he watched her eat. She forced down as much as she could before she set the rest on the table beside the bed and tried to snuggled into his side again.

"How are you feelin', Princess?" he asked. He pulled back to look her over.

She was still naked from the night before, but the blanket pulled up to her shoulders and tucked under her arms hid her body from him. A part of her wanted to drop the blanket and be as comfortable around him as she'd been the last few weeks, but another part of her wanted to make sure her body was never exposed again.

She shrugged one shoulder and looked down at her lap. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. She sucked in a deep breath and looked back up at him. Something in his face hurt her heart. Tears filled her eyes again, her lips trembled as she wondered why she couldn't just apologize to him.

Sans reached out and carefully touched her cheek with the backs of his claws. "I know this is probably the dumbest question I could ask, but are you okay?"

She met the lights in his eye sockets and shook her head. She was so far from okay. Although he'd healed her the night before, she could still feel what had been done to her. Her throat burned, and her body ached from the penetration she wished she could forget.

She had put herself in that position. She had let herself get touched by someone other than Sans. A part of her knew he wouldn't blame her, but another part hoped he never wanted to touch her again. She was damaged now—truly and properly damaged. A dark part of her being knew that he wouldn't want to fuck something so broken; he'd take her back to her world and leave her there. She deserved it; she knew she did. That didn't mean she wanted it to happen.

Sans didn't know what to do. He didn't even know where to begin. He wanted her to tell him what to do, but she refused to speak. He took a deep breath and leaned in to kiss her head. He had no clue what she was going through, and he wasn't about to push her to make him understand. He just wanted to make things better.

"What can I do, sweetheart?" he asked, his mouth still pressed against her hair.

Frisk sniffled and reached out to grip his shirt in her fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut and told herself it would be okay to speak. She needed to answer him. It would be okay if she had to wait to apologize. With a deep breath, she moved back enough to look up at him.

"Can I get dressed?"

His brow bones furrowed together. "Of _course_. Tell me what you want to wear."

She shook her head, guilt tugging at her guts again. "I…" She gripped the top of the blanket, holding it close to her chest as if it might be taken away if she didn't. "I mean…I think I need a minute…by myself?" She couldn't look up at him. He had every right to be angry at her for her request. How could she insinuate that she didn't trust him when she knew he'd die for her?

Sans didn't hesitate. He kissed her head one more time and stood up.

"Take your time, sweetheart. I'll just be right outside, okay?"

She nodded, still staring down at the blanket. After he left, she still couldn't let the blanket go. Instead of trying to make herself, she stood up and pulled the blanket off the bed with her. She wrapped it around herself and walked gingerly over to the small dresser that held her clothes. Numbly, she picked out some underwear and a bra, then a pair of sweat pants and an oversized sweatshirt. She pulled the underwear on slowly, trying to avoid any injuries to her legs.

"Stupid bitch," she mumbled to herself. "There's no fucking sores; Sans already healed you." With that thought, she yanked the underwear up the rest of the way and ignored the way her stomach shifted uncomfortably when they hit the tops of her thighs. It was fucking _underwear_ ; they weren't likely to sprout a dick anytime soon.

She dropped the blanket and told her pounding heart to calm the fuck down as she slipped on her bra. She had no right to feel this way, as if one wrong move would put her back in that room. She forced herself into her sweater and pulled her pants on, ignoring tears of near panic running down her cheeks.

She picked up the blanket and spread it back on the bed. It took more effort than she really wanted to expend, but soon the bed was made again. She sniffled and swiped angrily at her wet cheeks before forcing herself to go let Sans know she was dressed. She passed his jacket on the way, laying to the side of the bed where he'd dropped it the night before. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled it on and zipped it up.

A feeling of warmth spread through her. She felt marginally safe now. She clutched the front of the jacket in her fingers as she took the necessary steps to the door.

Sans turned the moment he heard the door handle creak. He smiled at the sight of Frisk in his jacket and stepped up to her.

"Feel better?" he asked.

She smiled up at him and nodded. "I think so."

He leaned down and kissed her lips. His arms wrapped around her as she snuggled into his chest.

"Anything else I can do to help?" His arms tightened in a hug before he pulled back and met her eyes. There was something in hers that concerned him, but he told himself it was normal after what she'd been through.

Frisk wrapped her arms around his chest and kissed his sternum over his shirt. "I don't know. I think I'm still tired. Can we go back to bed?"

He nodded without hesitation and followed her back to the bed. He pulled the covers back and smiled to himself as she climbed in still wearing his jacket. He got in next to her and pulled her up close. She snuggled into his ribs and sighed contentedly when he pulled the blanket up around them.

"How is this?" he asked.

She smiled to herself and nodded against his bones. "This is good." She curled up as much as she could against him, one foot resting on his tibia and fibula closest to her. She sucked in a deep breath of his heady scent and kissed his ribs over his shirt. "I love you, Sans."

Sans squeezed her gently and kissed her hair. "Love you, too, Princess."

Frisk felt like maybe she could be okay in that moment, wrapped up in Sans. She felt safe and comforted. She closed her eyes and gripped his shirt tighter in her hand. After a few minutes, she felt fatigue tugging at her consciousness. She didn't fight it.

* * *

Six days. Six days had passed since Frisk had been abducted and gangraped. Six days since Sans had rescued her and healed her physical wounds.

She still hadn't managed to apologize. She had been certain that he would have tossed her out by now, but he still held her at night and treated her like a literal princess during the day. He catered to her every need, making sure she ate and bathed, and never once pushing for anything more than a small, chaste kiss on the lips every so often.

It was starting to piss her off. He shouldn't love her the way he was doing. He should hate her. He should be disgusted by what she had allowed to happen to herself.

At the same time, a tiny part of her body wanted to go back to the way they were before. She wanted him to fuck her senseless and remind her that he was the only one who could ever make her feel good. She never tried. She didn't dare. Desire would flood through her only long enough to reach out to him. The moment her hands connected with his jacket or his arm or his cheekbone, she'd start to drown. Every ounce of desire would fade away and fear would take its place. She'd take a deep breath and give him a sad excuse of a smile instead of what she had initially intended.

Sans wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep this up. He told himself this was all normal after what she'd been through, but he couldn't handle the lack of communication. She was always telling him exactly what she thought of any situation they found themselves in, even to the point of calling him out on some behaviors he didn't know were bad. He loved that about her; she would make him be better for her.

He wasn't sure what to do to be better now. He'd given up on asking what he could do for her after he kept getting the same responses over and over again. He just did those things now without asking, knowing they'd offer at least a modicum of comfort.

Then she'd go and reach out to him as if she wanted a kiss, stop in her tracks, and give him a look full of so much fear it made his head spin. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but he knew the answer. She was not okay, but she wouldn't tell him what to do to help her. He'd tried guessing a few times, but even then, she didn't tell him if he'd made a good decision or a bad one. She'd just hold onto him as though she was afraid he'd disappear if she didn't.

Two more days passed in much the same fashion.

On the morning of the ninth day, Sans woke up slowly. He'd slept hard the night before. Frisk was tucked into his side, her head pillowed against his ribs as she snored softly. He looked down at her and smiled. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. He'd missed that on her face. It seemed more often than not, she looked distressed about something. He wanted to be patient with her, but he was coming to the end of what little reserves he had.

Really, he just wanted her to talk to him.

He leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head. She nuzzled against his bones and made a soft whimper as she snuggled closer to his side. His arm around her tightened marginally as he began to rub her arm from shoulder to elbow.

"I miss you, Frisk," he whispered softly. "I miss you telling me off, and I miss when you smile like being with me is the greatest thing in the world." He kissed her head again. "I know I ain't that good to you, but sometimes you make me feel that way. I love you so much."

Her arm on his chest slid around to his opposite side as she snuggled in deeper. She moaned softly and kissed his shirt as her fingers started to rub his ribs gently. He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him. Granted, she was asleep, but it had been a while since she'd touched him like this. He gently encouraged her, rubbing her arm and shifting to give her fingers more access to his bones. He wasn't disappointed.

He rubbed her back gently for a moment before reaching down to grab at her hip. He pulled her a little closer. He wasn't sure what he was going to do; he just wanted to feel like she wanted to be here with him again.

Frisk moaned softly again and sloppily lifted a leg over his. Her body pressed harder to his as her fingers began to trace in between his ribs, sliding along each bone before moving down to the next one.

Sans couldn't let this go on any longer. He needed her, but he sure as fuck wasn't going to move any further until she was awake. He kissed her forehead before pushing her onto her back and gently shaking her shoulder.

"Princess, wake up." He kissed her cheek.

Her eyes opened slowly before she smiled up at him. It was a genuine smile, and his soul felt a little lighter having seen it.

"Good morning," he said roughly. His hand ran down her side to her hip before he turned and kissed her lips.

Frisk had been having a wonderful dream. Sans was touching her softly, taking in her body inch by inch as if he were worshipping her. She woke up feeling heated as Sans' hands touched her. She'd smiled up at him, a part of her still convinced this was the dream, before she met his eyes. His were full of hunger. He leaned over her and pressed his mouth to hers.

It wasn't a rough kiss by any means. Her lips automatically puckered outward, kissing him back, even as her mind raced to catch up with what was happening. His hand on her hip pulled her closer. She wanted it so badly. Her eyes closed as she pushed herself into him. He grunted and opened his mouth to lick her lips with his summoned tongue.

She kissed him back, twining her tongue with his and sucking gently. His hands on her, gently sliding over her sides, drove her crazy. She gripped his ribs through his shirt and pulled as she rolled further over onto her back. He followed her, climbing over her without breaking the kiss. He laid down gently, easing his weight down on her slowly.

Frisk's heart was pounding against her chest almost painfully as she anticipated what he'd do next. She craved it in every molecule of her body. She didn't understand why she was shaking so badly as she reached out and gripped his shirt tighter. Each breath she took felt a little more labored as if it were harder to suck in enough air.

She broke the kiss and panted as something started to twist in her gut. He kissed her cheek to her ear, then slowly worked his way down her throat. Her eyes closed as her body shivered with desire.

There was something else there, though. Something not at all pleasant. It held her stomach tightly and caused a wave of nausea to crash over her as he pushed his hips into hers.

Her hands pushed up on his shoulders instantly. He pulled back and smiled at her, his devious grin he wore before they'd have sex. It made her feel worse. She couldn't meet his eyes as she pushed harder against him.

"You okay?" he asked, suddenly aware that she was very much not okay. "Princess, what's wrong?"

"Pom…" she couldn't say it. She closed her eyes tightly against a wave of terror. This didn't work last time. She could shoot herself, she thought; last time wasn't with Sans. "Pomegranate," she managed, her voice a small whimper.

Sans nodded and moved off of her to her side. "Frisk, it's okay. We're done; it's over."

Frisk made herself look up at him then, her eyes so filled with tears that his face was blurry. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He immediately shook his head and reached out to her. "Don't be."

Her stomach clenched hard, causing her to double over. Sans pulled her into him and gently rubbed her back. She sobbed hard, gripping his ribs tightly in her fists. She heard herself talking then, her words punctuated by hard sobs that wracked her body and shook him along with her.

"I never…should have…Sans, I'm so…All my fault."

Sans shushed her the best he could. He wanted her to talk to him, sure, but he couldn't stomach the idea of her blaming herself for anything that had happened recently.

"If I hadn't…been so fucking stubborn…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I let them…touch me."

He felt himself go cold. Oh, fuck no. His hands gripped her arms a little too harshly and pushed her back.

"The _fuck_ did you just say?" He all but yelled.

Surprise at his tone halted her sobs. She looked up at him with wide eyes. Didn't he already know? How could he not? He'd seen them, what they were doing to her.

"I let them touch me, Sans. I didn't mean to; I didn't—"

"Let's get one thing clear right now," he growled. His hands tightened on her arms, his claws digging into her skin. "If there was any fucking way you were responsible for what happened, you'd be just as fucking dead as the rest of them."

She shook her head, not really understanding what he was saying. "Sans, it's my fault—"

"What the fuck did I say? Did they just knock, and you went willingly, huh?" He knew the answer.

"No, but—"

"Interrupt me one more fucking time, Frisk; I fucking dare you." His claws dug deeper, accentuating his threat.

Her mouth snapped shut as she stared into his eyes, blazing red with angry magic.

"Yeah, you wanted to go with me. Yeah, I told you to stay here and you wouldn't _fucking_ listen to me. And yeah, you convinced me to let you stay there while I went with Boss."

Sans closed his eyes and took a half a second to try to calm down. It didn't work. He pulled away from her and stood up to pace the room as he yelled at her, a steady growl emphasizing each sentence.

"This ain't your fucking fault, Frisk! You didn't _let_ any fucking monster touch you. I would've thought you'd know the definition of rape by now. You were fucking raped, right under my goddamn watch!" His fingers stabbed at his chest as he took a step closer to the bed. "You wanna blame someone, Frisk, you blame me. Don't you fucking _dare_ blame yourself."

Frisk sat up slowly, watching as he paced the room. Her tears had dried up in the face of his unexpected anger. She had thought that, if he was going to get mad, it would be at her. She never thought he would be so adamant that she wasn't at fault. As she sat against the headboard, she pulled her legs up to her chest.

"I could never blame you," she said softly after he'd been quiet for a moment.

"Why not?" Sans asked, throwing his arms out to his sides. "You can blame yourself, Frisk, why can't you blame me while you're at it? I fucking felt your fear, and I didn't know what to do about it. I didn't know where you were. If I had taken a fucking minute to focus on you, I could have found you faster. But I couldn't, because I was so _fucking_ _scared_ I was gonna lose you."

Frisk looked down into her knees, not really sure how to respond to that. She took a moment to think, wrapping her head around the idea that he wasn't mad at her.

Sans sighed and walked back to the bed to sit on the edge. He gently rubbed her arms, healing the wounds he'd created there.

"Sorry I hurt you," he muttered.

She shrugged. "I'm sure I deserved it."

He grunted and made her look at him. "Princess, I ain't gonna lie and say I ain't fuckin' pissed about what happened. Of course I'm pissed; you got hurt despite me tellin' you that you were safe. But I ain't mad at you. None of that shit was your fault, no matter how you wanna twist it up. It wasn't mine, neither. The monsters whose fault it is are dead, okay? They ain't comin' back." He scooted a little closer and kissed her forehead. "Don't you dare be sorry for feelin' like you got fucked up, down, and sideways, cuz you did. I'm here, I love you, and I ain't gonna be pushin' for nothing more than you're willing to give me." One more kiss, this one on her cheek. "I gotta ask that you talk to me, though. I don't like this silence bullshit. Tell me how you're feeling so I can help you. If I can't help you, then fine, but don't fucking shut me out. I don't deserve that shit."

Frisk nodded and sniffled again. "I'm sorry I shut you out. I was scared. I _am_ scared."

"I get that. But, sweetheart, either we work through this or we let it ruin what we have. What would you rather do?"

She met his eyes and reached out to take his hand. "Work through it."

He nodded. "Me, too. Will you talk to me?"

"Yeah. But, Sans…will you do me a favor?" Her arm around her legs held a little tighter.

"Tell me what it is first."

She licked her lips. "Will you try not to get mad if I apologize a lot? I'm gonna do my best to stop blaming myself, but I don't think it's gonna happen right away. I promise I'm really gonna work on it, but there are things that happened that I don't know if I can ever…they really are my fault. I shouldn't have pushed so hard to go with you."

He nodded again. "I'll try. You gotta know something, Princess; what happened wasn't because the opportunity just presented itself. They were watching you and plannin' that shit. If you'd stayed here, I don't know if I woulda found you in time. Pushin' so hard to come with me probably saved your life." And, in turn, his life, he thought. He decided not to say that to her.

Frisk took a few minutes to think about what he'd just said. This new revelation caused her head to ache. She decided to push it away for a minute.

"Sex might not happen for a while," she mumbled.

"'Sokay. For now, you just gotta tell me to stop and I'll stop. Use the safe word if it makes you feel better, but you don't have to."

She shivered and scooted a little closer to him. "I tried using it with…them…it didn't work." She shook her head. "It was stupid of me."

Anger reappeared in his soul for what had happened. "Not stupid; you were tryin' everything you could to stop it."

"I don't know if I'll be okay with it or not. It was scary saying it this time, but you stopped."

"'Course I stopped, sweetheart." He moved to sit next to her and pulled her onto his lap. "Ain't never gonna push you like that."

She snuggled into him, curling up in his lap and nuzzling her face against his ribs. "I need to ask you something." She felt him nod against her head. "Please don't get mad, but I'm curious…do you really still want me, like that?"

He pushed her back just enough to make her look up at him. "Why would you ask that?"

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly before she could answer him. "Because I've been…damaged. I'm broken."

Sans smirked and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You ain't broken, Frisk, and you ain't damaged. What could make you think that? Just cuz you were raped? I mean, I get I'm an asshole and all, but even I know you ain't somethin' that can get tainted like that. You ain't a _thing_ at all; you're my soulmate. I figured out what that means, by the way; I like it." He kissed her again, this time on her lips. "Your body is as tempting to me as it has been since we've been together like that. Yeah, I wanna fuck you again, but ain't no way I'm gonna ask you to do that before you're ready."

Frisk lifted a hand to touch his cheekbone. "Thank you."

He kissed her again. "Don't thank me." His arms tightened around her, pulling her in a little closer.


	20. Are Souls Supposed to Do That?

A/N: I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter. It gave me fits. Although, it was probably one of the funnest to write because Boss is a freakin' cutie. It was also a hard one cuz yeah. Shit be happenin', peeps.

ALSO! You wanna see some freaking awesome fanart of this story? Cuz Malenchka on Tumblr is making that happen. LOOKIT! IT'S SO AWESOME! malenchka dot tumblr dot com slash image slash 172368732970 - Also check out their other stuff! They're freaking talented!

I suppose I should probably also let y'all know that I have a tumblr as well? I never thought to do that. heh. Come frolic with me at sheewolf85 dot tumblr dot com!

* * *

Are Souls Supposed to Do That?

News spread quickly about what had happened to Canis and his small gang of monsters that wanted to be tougher than they really were. Sans was probably a little too happy at the looks of fear he'd gotten the last few days just wandering around with Frisk and getting her accustomed to being back in public with him.

Boss had had a hand in that. He'd made it clear to everyone that, as far as he was concerned, she was a monster like everyone else. Anyone who had a problem with that had a problem with Boss, and nobody wanted to have a problem with Boss.

Frisk decided that she had to get to know Boss better. She begged Sans for days, never relenting until he finally allowed her to invite his brother over for dinner.

Boss had been surprised to say the least, but he accepted the invitation. When he found out they were planning to order from Grillby's because Sans couldn't cook for shit and Frisk didn't know how to make monster food, Boss decided he was going to have them over at his place instead. Sans made him promise he'd make something a human could ingest. Eyeball spaghetti was not that, he said. Boss was a little dejected but decided he could simply omit the eyeballs and call it good.

Frisk smiled brightly up at Sans as she put her shoes on. He smirked at her; for some reason she was excited about dinner at his brother's.

"You're making this into a bigger deal than it is, sweetheart," he insisted.

She giggled and skipped up to him to take his hand. "Actually, I think you're not making a big enough deal about this. When was the last time you and your brother had dinner together?"

He thought about that for a second. "Probably before Mom died."

Her eyes widened. She had figured it had been a while, but she never thought it could have been that long. "Sans, this is really important, then. He's your brother; your family." She squeezed his hand. "Can we make this a more permanent thing? Like once a month?"

He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "Maybe."

With that, he wrapped his arm around her and teleported to Boss' place. He knocked on the door and shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what to expect out of the night, even if he knew Boss wasn't likely to make anything awkward.

The door opened, and Boss stepped back to let his guests in. He nodded at Sans and managed a smile at Frisk.

Frisk was having none of that. She knew, based on what Sans had told her about how he'd helped rescue her, that Boss wasn't as heartless as he liked to pretend. She stepped forward and up on her toes to wrap him in a hug.

Boss stood rigid and looked at Sans with wide sockets. He didn't know what to do. Would Sans get mad if he hugged her back? Would he get mad if he _didn't_ hug her back?

Sans snickered at the look on his brother's face. He shrugged to let him know he didn't care what he did. Frisk made her own decisions and damn what anyone else said about them.

Boss chose to gently pat her back for a moment before she pulled back.

"Something smells good," she said as she stepped back to Sans' side and took his hand.

Boss smiled again. "THANK YOU. YOU'RE RIGHT ON TIME; DINNER IS READY." He led the way to the dining room where three places had been set up.

Sans pulled Frisk's chair out for her. She smiled up at him as she sat down. He winked at her as he took his seat next to her. He took her hand and smirked at the blush that had crept across her cheeks.

Boss came in and set a serving dish in the middle of the table. He took his seat and gestured for his guests to go first.

Frisk stared at the dish, not entirely sure what it was she was about to eat. Something about it resembled spaghetti, but she was pretty certain the noodles weren't supposed to move on their own.

Sans coughed. "Um, Boss?"

"WHAT?"

"I said something a human could ingest. You really think she's gonna be able to eat that?"

Boss scowled. "WHY? WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?"

Frisk cleared her throat. "I guess I'm just not used to eating things that are still moving. What is it made of?" If he said worms, she would puke right there at the table.

"I think it's better if you don't know," Sans said, meeting her eyes. "It ain't bugs, if that's what you're worried about."

Sans found himself actually eager to eat. He hadn't had this dish in fucking _years_ , and it used to be his favorite. He'd never learned how to cook it, preferring to spend his energy on other things. He reached out and put a small portion on Frisk's plate before giving himself a large helping.

"If you can't eat it, don't worry. Are you okay?" He had to smile at the look on her face. She was turning a little green.

"It's not worms, is it?"

Boss scoffed. "I WOULD NEVER SERVE FUCKING _WORMS_."

She raised her eyebrows. "Okay, sorry." She picked up her fork and stabbed a wriggling noodle. "It's not anything from a human?"

Sans chuckled. "I wouldn't let you eat it if it was."

She nodded, took a breath, and shoved the fork into her mouth. Surprisingly, it wasn't terrible. She managed to chew despite the strange sensation of her food moving in her mouth. The flavor reminded her of the spaghetti she'd had in her world. She swallowed and decided she'd put up with it. This was a special occasion, after all.

"OH, I ALMOST FORGOT." Boss got up and went back into the kitchen. He came out with three glasses and a tall bottle.

Sans laughed. "You planning to get us drunk?"

"I KNOW YOU NEVER CARED FOR HOSPITALITY, SANS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T BE A GOOD HOST." He set the glasses down and filled each of them from the bottle.

"Go easy on that," Sans said as he picked up his glass. "You ain't used to that shit." He downed his glass and hissed before setting it back down. "Boss, how much'a that you got?"

Boss huffed a laugh and shook his head. "PLENTY."

* * *

All three sat in Boss' living room laughing as Sans told Frisk about their childhood.

"So Paps goes into the kitchen to get the fuckin' cookies and finds an empty plate." He laughed so hard he was wheezing.

Frisk couldn't help but giggle at the red that stained his cheekbones. The story itself wasn't that funny but watching Sans as he recalled the memory was.

"YOU FUCKING TOOK THEM ALL, YOU BASTARD!" Boss hollered.

"'Course I did; what's a big brother s'posed to do?"

"OH, I DON'T KNOW, _NOT_ BLAME THAT SHIT ON ME!"

Sans burst out in laughter again, his arm around Frisk shaking as he attempted to breathe.

Dinner had been nice, and they were all nicely drunk after finishing two bottles of Grillby's special vodka.

"So what happened?" Frisk asked. "Did your mom get mad?"

"Oh, she was fuckin' pissed. Dad was worse, though. Luckily for Paps, he saw right through my shit."

Boss scowled and crossed his arms. "IT TOOK THREE MONTHS FOR YOUR ARM TO HEAL AFTER THAT."

Frisk furrowed her brow. Sans pulled up the sleeve of his left arm and showed her jagged scars through both his radius and ulna. She lightly touched them. She'd noticed them before, along with other scars on his bones, but never thought to ask about them. She had just figured it was a result of growing up in such a violent world.

"He broke your arm?" She looked up to meet his fuzzy eyelights. They seemed bigger than normal and blurred around the edges. She was pretty sure her eyes looked a bit glazed over as well.

"I got off easy. Like I said before, he wasn't a good dad." He pushed his sleeve back down and hugged her to him. He liked feeling her soft body next to him like this.

After she broke down and confessed that she felt guilty for what had happened to her, they both worked on keeping communication between them as open as possible. She was still hesitant in bed, and he was still patient with her. He would wait forever for her, as long as she never shut him out again.

Frisk snuggled into his side and turned her attention back to Boss. "So, is that your real name then? Paps?" Boss' eye lights resembled Sans'; large and unfocused.

"NO. IT'S PAPYRUS, BUT SANS HAS GIVEN ME MANY DIFFERENT NICKNAMES."

"Papyrus. I like that." She hummed softly and smiled when she saw the orange blush on his cheeks darken just a little. "What other nicknames do you have?"

"He just means I've called him a bunch'a names. Shit like Paps, Pap, Paprika, Papaya…yeah, a lotta shit."

Frisk couldn't help but giggle. "Paprika?"

"HE'S JEALOUS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO USE THE SPICE AND HE DOESN'T."

Sans snorted. "Yeah, let's go with that, bro."

"So when did you start calling yourself Boss?" she asked, directing her attention back to Boss.

"THAT WAS ALSO SANS' IDEA. IT WAS AFTER I STARTED TAKING OVER SOME OF THE PROBLEM AREAS AROUND TOWN. MONSTERS AROUND HERE NEVER LIKED TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO, BUT EVERYONE DOING WHAT THEY WANT ISN'T ALWAYS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. WITH MY MAGIC LEVELS, I COULD EASILY VANQUISH ENEMIES WHO STOOD IN MY WAY."

"Did Sans help you?"

"Like I wanted any part of that shit. I ain't a leader, Frisk. I'm too fuckin' lazy for that shit."

She scowled at him; she didn't think he was lazy, and she thought he'd make a great leader. At least, as he was now. Perhaps not in the past.

"SANS DID MORE THAN HE KNOWS. MONSTERS WEREN'T AFRAID OF ME, BUT THEY WERE OF HIM. I'D THREATEN TO GET MY BIG BROTHER INVOLVED, AND IT USUALLY STOPPED ANY ARGUMENTS UNTIL I HAD ENOUGH CONTROL OVER MY MAGIC TO HANDLE MYSELF."

"When did Sans start working for you?"

Sans arm tightened around her, and she looked up at him. He smiled and kissed her. She was too curious for her own good. It didn't bother him, necessarily, but he was getting tired.

Boss looked at Sans for a moment. When Sans nodded, he continued. Frisk furrowed her brow and decided she'd have to ask about that later. Was he asking permission to tell her something?

"A FEW YEARS AFTER I'D ESTABLISHED MYSELF AS LEADER. APPARENTLY, NOBODY ELSE HAD THOUGHT TO ACTUALLY ASSERT THEMSELVES THE WAY I HAD. THAT WAS BOTH GOOD AND BAD, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE COMPETITION UNTIL OTHERS DECIDED THEY'D BE BETTER AT IT THAT I AM. RIDICULOUS NOTION, OF COURSE. NOBODY COULD BE A BETTER BOSS THAN THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH."

Frisk couldn't help but snort at the laughter that just came from Boss. It was the most adorable thing she'd heard in a long time.

"Oh my god, that was cute!" she squealed, her inhibitions clearly gone.

Boss' jaw clamped shut and he crossed his arms over his chest again.

"IT'S NOT THAT FUCKING CUTE!" he all but yelled.

Sans chuckled. "It's adorable, Boss. Long story short, I helped him keep his throne, as it were, and I punished monsters that broke the rules."

"When did you start hurting humans?"

Boss apparently had no interest in answering that question, still butthurt over Frisk's reaction to his laughter.

"We should probably go home, Princess."

Frisk looked up at him. "But I still have questions."

"And I'll answer 'em later. C'mon."

He helped Frisk stand up and carefully got to his feet beside her. She stumbled over to Boss and leaned down to hug him again.

"Thank you so much for having us, Papyrus. I hope we can do this again soon."

Boss sighed and hugged her back. "PERHAPS."

Sans ended up having to peel her away from his brother. She protested, saying she didn't think he'd had enough hugs in his life and she intended to fix that. Boss was quick to tell her she'd have plenty of time for that later; they'd get together again.

Sans didn't dare teleport; he was too drunk for that and fuck only knew where they'd end up. He kept a protective arm around Frisk's shoulders as they walked home.

"I'm cold," Frisk said softly, snuggling into his side.

"You're always cold."

"No, but I'm really cold. Can I wear your jacket?"

He snorted. "No. You shoulda thought about that shit."

Even as he said it, he was pulling the zipper down. He shrugged out of it and draped it over her shoulders. She pushed her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up to her chin before snuggling back into his side.

"Thank you."

"Yeah. Now I'm cold."

She grinned up at him. "You shoulda thought about that shit." She knew he was teasing; he didn't get cold.

He chuckled and leaned down enough to kiss her. They both stumbled but managed to stay on their feet.

They maintained a comfortable silence after that. It seemed to Frisk that she got more and more tired with each step she took. Sans' arm around her was enough to keep her up, and she wasn't about to curl up on the ground any time soon.

Sans was aware of the monsters around them. He hoped none of them thought that him being drunk meant his reaction time or magic was impaired in any way. He'd had too many drunken nights to practice for that to be the case.

Luckily, nobody tried anything. He was still relieved when they finally made it home. As soon as they were inside, Frisk pulled away from him to go collapse diagonally on the bed. Sans shook his head to himself and went to pick her up.

"We gotta get you outta those clothes, Princess," he spoke into her ear.

Frisk sighed happily at the feel of his breath and the low sound of his voice. She didn't do anything to help but instead leaned back against him as he unzipped the jacket and pulled it off. A soft, relaxed sound escaped her throat when he started to unbutton her jeans. She felt hot in all the right places. She knew he wouldn't try anything; he was merely trying to get her comfortable. That fact was made even more clear when he gently slipped her jeans down her hips, making sure to leave her panties in place.

Sans' bones were heating up fast he pushed her jeans down. He wanted her madly. He loved the trust she had in him as he undressed her, but he felt like maybe it was a little misplaced. She was drunk, but so was he. He wanted to pretend he'd have the strength to resist her, so he continued what he was doing. He wasn't at all prepared when she hooked her thumbs in the waistline of her panties and started working them down, shimmying her hips so her ass moved against the front of his pants as she did so.

"Frisk—"

"Shh." She leaned against him further, using his strength to keep her balance as she kicked off her shoes. Her pants and underwear soon followed. She then turned in his embrace and gripped the front of his sweater in her fingers. "It's okay, Sans," she whispered, looking up into his face. "It's okay."

Sans swallowed thickly as she started to lift up on his shirt. He didn't help her, but he didn't stop her either. She pushed her hands under and started to gently brush her fingertips across his lower ribs.

"You're drunk," he finally managed. His hands found themselves on her hips and he pulled her in closer.

"So are you." She gave him a lopsided smile before ducking her head under his sweater to kiss his sternum. She let her tongue gently trace a scar there before she pressed her lips to another one.

He shivered and pushed her back enough for her come out of his shirt. Without a word, he lifted up on hers and dropped it to the floor beside them. He did the same with her bra. Before she let him push her down onto the bed, she made him take off his clothes.

He was torn as they laid down together. He wanted to fuck her into the mattress and make her scream his name, but at the same time he couldn't be sure she was actually ready for this. Something in his soul tugged hard with the question of if she'd regret it when she was sober again. He didn't fight her as she pushed him onto his back and continued kissing and licking his ribs. He couldn't. It felt too fucking good to push her away now.

Frisk was burning up in the best possible way as she explored his bones. She'd never taken the opportunity to explore him like this, and she made a mental note to do it more often. A part of her wondered if drunk her would end up tossing that note or if she'd somehow remember. His hands were on her back, gently rubbing in circles as his claws scraped softly. She didn't think she could ever get enough of this.

She scooted down a little when she reached the bottom of his ribs. She paid as much attention to him as she could, taking in his sudden intakes of breath and soft grunts as she continued her appraisal by moving to his spine. He sucked in a hiss and his hands moved to her shoulders. She wasn't sure, but she thought he may have pushed her gently. She took her time moving from one vertebra to the next, slowly making her way to his pelvis.

His erection was straining against her skin as she moved. Sans wanted nothing more than for her to suck him off right there; he'd never been so fucking turned on in all his life. Something about her taking charge tonight was the sexiest fucking thing in the world. His claws dug into her hair as she kissed and licked at the bones of his pelvis. She skipped right over his hard member. He whined and bucked his hips into her.

"Sans."

Her small voice caught his attention, and he looked down. Her face next to his dick was a sight to behold. He swallowed and grunted.

"I'm not going to suck your cock," she said flatly. "I can't. I'm sorry." She shook her head. "No, I'm not sorry." She knew he would understand.

He smirked and softly ran a claw down her cheek. "Not a problem, Princess." Yeah, he wanted it, but not that badly.

She gave him a few more kissed around his pelvis before working her way back up. She didn't take her time going back up; she had a goal to achieve this time.

Sans didn't expect anything else as she settled herself next to him and kissed his clavicle. He'd had a hell of a night already, and it wasn't like he wasn't used to jerking himself off anyway. He hugged her to his side and kissed her forehead. Before he could pull back, however, she pushed herself back up.

"I needed a minute," she said softly. She'd felt a rush of nausea as she contemplated straddling him and so took a moment to calm down next to him. She'd reassured herself that he wouldn't push her; this was Sans. She loved him with every ounce of her being, and she was tired of hiding behind fear. She was ready to be with him again.

He furrowed his brow as she positioned herself on top of him. He stopped her as she reached under herself to grip his dick.

"Frisk, wait." How he managed to have the self-control to stop now, he didn't know. "You really are drunk."

"Yes, I know. Sans, I want this. I really, really do. Please don't make me wait until I sober up, because then my brain will sabotage me again." She pulled her hand back and lifted her hips enough to position his dick. "Please?"

He didn't have nearly as much control as he wanted to have. He nodded and lightly gripped her hips as she eased herself down. They both moaned as he filled her. She settled herself on his hips, letting her body adjust to his size. It had been far too long, she thought. She licked her lips and leaned forward enough to brace her hands on his ribs. His hands moved up to her waist and held just tight enough to steady her as she rocked against him.

Their lovemaking was slow yet needy. Neither said a word, yet their sounds of pleasure filled the room. Her fingers gripped his ribs tightly as her movements against him became more rushed and less coordinated. Soon his hips were leaving the mattress as he thrust into her with each of her descents. Her back arched and her toes curled; she leaned down over him and squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she came undone.

Sans wasn't done yet. He flipped them over so he was on top. He kept their connection close, laying on top of her as he thrust into her. He kissed and nipped at her shoulder until he came, swearing into her skin.

Both were panting hard as he collapsed next to her. She curled up against his side and he wrapped both arms around her to hold her close. He didn't feel like he was close enough. He turned on his side to hold her better.

"I love you, Sans," Frisk whimpered. Her voice gave away that she was half asleep.

He kissed her and tightened his arms around her. "Love you, too."

He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before both of them were out cold.

A chill in the air caused Frisk to shiver as she slept. She nuzzled closer to Sans, wrapping her arms around his ribs. Their chests were pressed together. Sans grunted as a strange warmth invaded his chest. It wasn't enough to wake him. It spread from him to Frisk. She began to snore softly, her brows furrowing as something tugged in her chest. Had she been awake, it would have reminded her of when Sans showed her how souls mated.

Sans' chest began to glow, softly casting red light around the room. A small tendril of red light pushed its way past his sternum. In response, a matching red tendril came from between Frisk's breasts. They met in the near nonexistent space between their chests, swirling together and becoming one to form a ball of light. The color drained until it shone a brilliant white and slowly took the shape of a tiny upside-down heart. The new soul sank into Frisk's chest. Under her skin, a bright glow could be seen making its way slowly down her body to settle in her womb. It dimmed until it no longer showed outside of her body.

The light in Sans' chest disappeared, leaving the room dark again.


	21. This Here is What We Call a Problem

A/N: **PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SANE AND HOLY, READ THIS NOTE!**

Okay, guys. Here's the thing. So I don't think I've been very fair to my readers on this site concerning this story. On Ao3, I have tags and bullshit that I can update as things progress in my writing. I can't do that here. So, because I can't do that, I'm going to let y'all know a few things so you can decide if you want to finish this story or even this chapter. I apologize for realizing this so late in the story, as after this there's only one chapter left.

This is not a happy story. It does not have a happy ending. Some could argue that the ending is bittersweet or has some kind of nice twist, but let's be real here. There will be death. The ending of the last chapter and what goes down in this chapter kind of lets you know what I mean by that. In this chapter we have thoughts and talk of suicide and there will be actual suicide in the next one. It is not made to be pretty or romantic or any of that bullshit, because suicide is neither pretty nor romantic.

Should you choose to jump ship now, I can't blame you. This shit's depressing. Thank you for reading what you have, and please feel free to check out my other, less depressing, stories.

However, if you choose to continue to the end, I thank you.

I would say enjoy, but that might be a bit masochistic of me.

Oh! And I have a tumblr. Come hang out with me and stuff. sheewolf85 dot tumblr dot com

* * *

This Here is What We Call a Problem

Frisk woke up slowly, her whole body shivering. She sucked in a breath through her teeth and tried to wriggle closer to Sans. He was on his back next to her, his arm under her curled around her back while his other was stretched out to his side.

"S-Sans?" She managed. She felt weak, as if she'd gone through a strenuous workout the night before. Her head pounded and it hurt to open her eyes. She decided to keep them shut. She reached out and gently nudged Sans. She wasn't ready to really wake up, but she needed to get warm before she could go back to sleep.

Sans grunted next to her and opened an eye socket. He looked over at her and immediately cursed himself for not making sure they got under the covers before they fell asleep. Groggily, he helped her get up just long enough to pull the blankets back. She got in and curled into a ball as she shook. He laid next to her and pulled her up close, being as careful as he could be as he rubbed her skin to try to warm her up.

"Fuck. Sorry, Princess," he managed.

"Not your fault," she grunted back. She couldn't figure out why she was so sore. And then it hit her. Not only had they gotten drunk off something she'd never had before, but… "We had sex, didn't we?"

Sans stilled, his bones going rigid. Fuck. He knew she'd regret it. He knew it, and he still let it happen. "I did try to stop you," he said. He hadn't meant to make it sound like it was her fault. "I mean, we were both drunk, and—"

"No, Sans, I'm not upset."

He looked down at her and watched in wonder as her lips spread into a smile. He couldn't help but kiss her.

"You're not?"

"No. I'm sore and my head hurts, but not upset. I feel…better, I think. It's hard to explain." She felt as if a part of her finally broke out from under the weight of what had happened to her. She knew she was in no shape to get back to their previous love life, but they'd taken a step in the right direction. "I'm happy about it." She snuggled closer to him.

Relief hit him hard. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. "Good."

As they rested together, Frisk falling back to sleep in no time, Sans couldn't help but feel as if something was off. Something in his soul felt weird. He didn't like this. He grimaced to himself and tried to believe it was simply because he'd been afraid she regretted fucking him last night.

With that thought, he relaxed as much as he could and closed his eyes. It didn't take him long to fall back to sleep.

* * *

Sans watched Frisk carefully as she made her breakfast. Something about her was different, but he couldn't figure out what it was. She looked the same. She felt the same when she hugged him and when he touched her. She smelled…mostly the same. No, there was definitely something off about her scent.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he came up behind her.

She smiled and looked back at him. "I'm great." She leaned against him and stirred the eggs in the pan. She let out a soft moan when his hands gently massaged her shoulders. "I'm so great, Sans. I feel amazing." Even her headache had gone away.

He bent to kiss the top of her head. As he did, he let his arms slip down to hold her around her waist. He wanted to let her words soothe him, but he couldn't. Whatever was wrong was so wrong his soul was starting to hurt. He sighed and buried his face in her shoulder.

Frisk paused for a second before she tapped the fork on the edge of the pan and set it aside. She took a small step back, forcing him to take one with her, then turned in his embrace. Her fingers gripped his shirt as she looked up at him, worry in her eyes.

"Are _you_ okay?"

He kissed her then stood up straighter and shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like something's wrong." It wasn't a notion anymore; he knew something was up. "I just don't know what."

She pushed herself a little closer to him and nuzzled her face against his sternum. "Do you feel like it's me? Because I promise I feel fantastic."

"Yeah, it's you." Nothing else could get him this upset, he thought.

She pulled back and met the lights in his sockets. "Maybe you're concerned that I'm not ready—"

"No." He shook his head, interrupting her. "That's not it. It's something else. Can I do something?"

Frisk was getting really worried for him. She wasn't lying about feeling good. Granted, her muscles still hurt a little from their romp the night before and she was pretty sure she was still a little dehydrated, but she could honestly say she'd never felt better in her life.

"Yeah, of course." She turned around to move the eggs off the stove. They were pretty much done anyway, so she set them aside and let him take her to the couch.

"I'm gonna pull your soul out, okay?"

She nodded and relaxed. He put his hand to her chest, and she felt the slight tug that told her he'd gripped her soul. Strangely, she felt a similar tug in her lower abdomen. Pain shot from her chest to her hips as he pulled back, and she gasped, curling up a little as her soul appeared in front of her.

"I'm okay," she reassured. Maybe she was getting close to her period. She wasn't sure why that would matter, but she also wasn't sure why else she'd feel that kind of pain.

Sans nodded and began to inspect her soul. It looked normal. Maybe even a bit healthier than the last time he'd done this, he thought. He smiled and put it back before leaning in to kiss her.

"I guess I might just be paranoid," he said softly. He pulled back and looked her over, just to give himself more reassurance that she was okay. Her arm wrapped around her lower stomach, almost hiding a soft glow coming from under her panties. His smile dropped immediately, and he wasn't nearly as careful as he should have been as he gripped her hand and moved it away from her body.

"Ow! Sans, that hurts." She tried to pull her hand away from his grasp, but it only caused his claws to dig in deeper.

Sans didn't know what to do. There was really only one thing that tiny glow could be. He had thought monsters had to be conscious to allow soul mating to happen. Even drunk, he would have been able to keep his own soul from misbehaving. Had it happened after they'd passed out? Was that even possible? He could feel himself start to sweat.

"We have a problem," he managed to ground out.

Frisk's heart was already starting to pound at the look of devastation on his face. It was clear that something bad was going on. She looked down at where he seemed to be staring to find her body glowing. It caused her heart rate to jump up a few beats.

"What is that?" she asked, squirming to get a better look.

Sans let her hand go and clenched his eyes shut. "That's…" he felt like he might get sick. How a skeleton could get nauseous was beyond him, but he was feeling it. "That's a new fucking soul." Pulling hers out must have aggravated it, causing it to glow brighter than normal.

The meaning of his words hit her hard. "How?" she asked, her voice trembling even in the single word.

Sans rubbed his face. "I don't know."

"You said you wouldn't let this happen, Sans." She was close to panicking. How long did she have to live before her baby killed her?

His eyes snapped to hers. "Don't fucking blame this shit on me!" He stood up and started pacing.

"No, no…that's not…" She stood up and put herself in front of him, gripping his shirt tightly. "I'm sorry; that's not what I meant."

His arms wrapped around her and held tightly. "Then what did you mean?"

"Just that I'm scared." She nuzzled against him and sucked in a deep breath. "How long do monster pregnancies last?"

"You mean how long you got to live?"

She flinched and dug her fingers in further between his ribs. "I guess."

"A few months at most."

"Can I…is there a way to…get rid of it?" She hated that thought. She wished she didn't have to say it. This was Sans' baby, and she wanted to love it.

Sans shook his head. To demonstrate, he pulled back and very delicately put his hand over her lower stomach. She felt him touch both it and her soul at the same time. He told himself to squeeze it so she'd understand, but he just couldn't do that to her.

"Anything I do to this little soul happens to your soul, too. That's the same 'cross all monster types. In monsters, it helps ensure the baby's survival. It has literally attached itself to your soul." He leaned down enough to put his forehead against hers. "If you abort, it'll kill you that much sooner."

She nodded, telling herself that it would be okay. Maybe they could find a way to give this baby what it needed without it hurting her too badly. Even as she thought it, she knew that wouldn't be the case.

"How fragile is it?" she heard herself ask.

He sucked in a breath and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. "Stronger than yours." He laid her down and crawled in next to her, pulling her close. "You're thinking about forcing a miscarriage, right?"

She nodded and pushed herself into him. "I've heard human babies are pretty easy to do that to."

"That soul _will_ outlive you, Princess."

She shivered and wiped away tears she realized had started to fall. "Does it even have a body yet?"

"Not likely." He squeezed her tightly, determined to memorize the feel of her in his arms. "It'll probably be a skeleton, though, considering I am one and you have one."

She nodded and tried to think of how cute their baby skeleton would be. She couldn't help but conjure up fantasies of cradling it close to her breast as she sang it to sleep. She'd swaddle it tightly so all that showed would be its adorable little face, teeth sharp like its father's. She wondered what color its eyes would be. Probably red, considering that was the color of both hers and Sans' souls. She'd play with it and teach it how to be good and somewhat kind; she'd love it like a mother should love her child.

She wasn't sure when she'd started sobbing, but she felt herself shake next to Sans and his hands rub her back. Beneath her hands, she felt his chest shake as he cried with her.

* * *

Frisk winced as something crashed in the other room. She sat on the bed trying everything she could to ignore Sans having a tirade away from her where he couldn't hurt her. He yelled something that sounded vaguely like a curse.

He'd been in this mood for three hours now. She sucked in a breath and told herself that he would calm down soon. Then again, she'd told herself that same thing an hour ago.

Then, all of a sudden, everything went quiet. She perked up instantly, hoping to see him come back in the room and talk to her again. She waited for a few minutes before she decided that there was too much silence.

She got up and carefully made her way to the other room. She peeked inside, bracing herself for an angry Sans, and was surprised to find the room empty. The furniture had been tossed across the room and the walls were punctured with various sizes of holes, but there was no Sans. She called his name as she went through the whole house. He was nowhere to be found.

With a huff, she went back to the bed and sat down. She figured he'd probably teleported somewhere, but she didn't like that he'd left her alone without telling her. She hadn't been alone since…

She didn't want to think about that. Instead, she put her hand on her lower stomach and decided it would be better to think about a different horror. She laid down on her side and thought about what she knew of monster pregnancies. She hoped there was at least a little similarity to human pregnancies, because this little baby was bound to need something to sustain it before it was ready to be born. She couldn't imagine months of being eaten from the inside out.

Fears of the kind of pain she was going to have to endure made her curl up on herself. She closed her eyes tightly as she cried, wishing Sans was there to answer her questions.

She had no idea how long she laid there, shaking and terrified of what was going to happen to her, before she finally heard something. Sans' voice was rough and loud, but it sounded far more relaxed than it had before he'd left.

"Princess?"

She uncurled herself enough to look at him. His mouth and hands were covered in blood, and no doubt his jacket, too, although she couldn't see it due to its color.

"Where did you go?" she asked, her voice weak.

He held his hands out, looking between them for a second. "Had to get out some frustration. You okay?"

"No, I'm really not. Will you please go clean up so you can answer some questions for me?"

With a nod, he went to do as she'd said. He took off his jacket in the bathroom before washing his hands and face. He'd gotten some form of carnage on his pants, too, so he stripped those and kicked off his boots. He'd been unnecessarily cruel this time; he almost regretted what he'd done. He shook that off; it wasn't like the humans didn't deserve it. Then again, he wasn't actually sure. Maybe that was his problem; he usually knew exactly what they were being punished for. This time he didn't care. He'd gone to release some tension, not do his job.

He was about to step into the shower before he got an idea. He went back out the bedroom naked.

"You wanna shower with me, Princess?"

She didn't look at him. Instead, she shook her head and held herself tighter. He nodded to himself and went to shower. He made quick work of it, suddenly needing to hold her. He dried himself off and went to slip on some shorts before he laid down behind her.

Before he could pull her up to him, she turned around and all but shoved herself at him. His arms wrapped around her and held gently. He knew better than to ask if she was okay.

"You said you have questions?"

She nodded. "I was going to ask where you were, but I guess I know that already. You scared me when you left without telling me." She nuzzled against his sternum and pushed herself a little closer.

"'M sorry, Princess." He dipped his head to kiss the top of hers.

She looked up at him then. "Are you? Or are you just going to do it again when you're frustrated?"

Her eyes burned into him, telling him exactly what she thought of what he'd done. Shame made his soul feel too tight.

"I can't say I ain't gonna do it again, but I'll try to at least tell you next time."

That, she could handle. She nodded and shoved her face back into his sternum as her arms squeezed him tightly.

"How is this baby going to get its nutrition before it's born?" Her voice was muffled against his bones.

He wasn't sure how to answer that. She squeezed him almost too tightly when he didn't say anything after a few minutes. He ran his claws through her hair and decided it was best to just be honest with her.

"I don't know. There's not a lot of documentation on this, Princess. The best I can say is that, from what I've read, it doesn't seem the human mothers are in too much pain until the baby's born."

Frisk nodded, a little relieved. She looked up at him again. "So it won't eat at me slowly over the next few months?"

Sans shook his head and kissed her. "No, it won't. Just…I can't say it ain't gonna hurt. If that kid is anything like me, it's gonna have claws." And sharp teeth, he thought to himself. She would know that, but he didn't feel like he needed to say it.

More tears gathered in her eyes as she started to shake. "I don't want it, Sans."

"I know, sweetheart. Neither do I."

"How did this even happen? I'm not trying to say it's your fault, okay, but when you said you wouldn't let it happen, I assumed that meant it was something you could control."

That sure as fuck sounded like she was blaming him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he could allow himself to answer.

"Look, I don't know how it happened, but it did—"

"How can you not know? I mean, our souls have to come out of our bodies."

He pulled back from her and stood up, too angry to just lie there. He started pacing. "Yeah, which usually means we gotta be conscious. You and me both, sweetheart, not just me. I didn't fucking soul-rape you, okay!?" He felt like he might get sick again, just saying that word.

Frisk sat up slowly. "Soul rape is a thing?"

"Yes, it's a thing." He stopped pacing and ran a hand over his face. "You're supposed to have as much control over your soul as I have over mine. If I knew what was going on, I could have stopped it; same for you."

"I didn't know it was happening."

"I showed you how it would happen, Frisk. You think you'd just not notice what was going on if you were awake?" Somehow, she still wasn't getting it. He'd spell it out for her if he had to, but he really didn't want to. He still wasn't completely sure that he was right, but there wasn't any other way it could have happened.

Her eyes narrowed. "You mean I was asleep?"

He threw his arms up and started pacing again. "For fuck's sake, _yes!_ We both were."

"But you said it happens during sex."

"I said 'usually'. I didn't think it even _could_ happen if we weren't awake, so would you fucking stop blaming me for this shit?"

She sighed. "I'm not…I'm just confused, Sans. I'm not trying to blame you for anything, and I'm sorry if that's how I sound. I'm confused and scared, okay. It's not like you're the one who's been given the death sentence here."

Sans stopped in his tracks and turned to her. A part of him couldn't really believe that she'd just said that. His soul hurt like she'd just dealt some magical blow he wasn't aware she was capable of.

"Do you really believe that watching you die won't kill me?" he asked, his voice as level as he could keep it.

She wanted to scoff at him; of course it wouldn't kill him. He was already decades—maybe even centuries—older than her; he'd live for probably centuries after she was gone. However, something in his face and the way he'd said those words stopped her. She swallowed and watched him in silence, hoping he wasn't being serious. She saw no trace of humor in his face or his stance.

"But you have to raise—"

"Bullshit. I don't have to do shit. I don't want it; it can die a slow, starving death for all I care."

She winced, but she couldn't blame him for feeling that way. "Will it really kill you? I mean, me dying?" God, she hoped not.

"I don't wanna live without you, Princess."

That was hardly an answer. Her eyes narrowed. "And what if this hadn't happened? How long do monsters live, normally?"

He shrugged. "Few centuries, I guess."

"Yeah, and humans get one, if we're lucky."

He met her eyes, not at all intimidated by what she thought was a challenge. "If this hadn't happened, I'd have lived out your life with you and offed myself after you died."

She stood up then and walked over to him. He was about to pull her into him when she reached out and slapped him.

"Don't you fucking _dare_!" she screamed. "You…you…" She couldn't force herself to insult him when he was talking about suicide. "I love you! Don't you…you _can't_!"

He pulled her into him then, ignoring her protests. "You won't get a say in the matter, Princess. You'll be dead, and I'm gonna follow you." He wasn't scared of death, not in the slightest. What scared him was knowing he was going to have to watch her suffer before he could end his own pain.

She gave up the fight and crumpled into him, crying so hard her whole body shook as he held her. She wanted to scream and yell and make him promise her that he wouldn't hurt himself after she was dead, but she couldn't even breathe properly. She clung to him, desperate to keep him alive. His arms were almost too tight around her, but she didn't care.

Sans took her back to the bed and laid down with her. He knew she was mad at him, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. She could scream and cry and beg him all she wanted; it wouldn't change the fact that she couldn't do shit about it when she was dead.

He'd thought about her mortality a lot after they'd first gotten together romantically. It hadn't taken much to come to the conclusion that his life would be forever altered by her, even after she was dead and gone. Knowing that he'd be left vulnerable after she died, he'd decided that he'd rather kill himself than let any other monster have that satisfaction. She wouldn't understand that, and he wouldn't explain it to her. He had wanted to keep his plans to himself entirely, but she'd brought it up and he wasn't going to lie to her.

She'd finally calmed down a while later, but still clung to him as though her own life depended on it. Neither of them said anything. She wanted to try to talk him out of it, but she knew it wouldn't be of any use. She had nothing to bargain with. A small part of her wished that their child was enough to keep him alive, but she already knew he hated it. If it wasn't attached to her the way it was, it would already be dead.

"Sans?" she finally asked. He hummed softly to let her know he'd heard her. "You won't kill the baby, will you?"

He sucked in a breath and kissed her head. "I don't even wanna fuckin' touch it."

She nodded. As hard as she tried to share his feelings on the matter, she just couldn't. She felt scared again, but this time it was for her child. "Do you think Boss would raise it?"

He snorted. "Boss might kill it. Accidentally."

Accidentally was something she could work with. "But do you think he'd try?"

He shrugged the shoulder she wasn't laying on. "Maybe, but that's gonna depend on how he feels about the thing taking his family from him."

She shivered. "Will you let me talk to him about it?" She was almost afraid Sans would ask his brother to kill it.

He sighed. "I guess."

"I'm not…" She leaned up on her elbow so she could see his face. "I'm not trying to say that it deserves to live, okay? I'm also not trying to say that I would rather die so it could live; that's not how I feel and you know it. But, if this is going to happen and none of us can do anything to stop it, then I would like to at least give this kid a fighting chance. It's our baby, Sans."

He closed his eyes and reached up to pinch his nasal ridge. After a moment, he grunted. "Fine, but don't talk about it like it's a good thing. That might be our baby, but this is the worst possible thing that could have happened."

She nodded and stretched a little to kiss him. "I know it is. I'd rather have no baby, but it's not looking like we can make that happen." She laid back down on him and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Sans."

His arms tightened around her until she let out an involuntary squeak. He smiled and kissed her head. "I love you, too."

* * *

Boss sat in the chair in his living room, staring at Frisk as she spoke. She sat in Sans' lap, shaking and crying as she told him she was pregnant.

He knew how humans got when they were expecting. While he hadn't expected _this_ to happen, considering Sans' position on the matter, he had half expected her to be happy when she told him. She clearly understood what this meant, which meant Sans had explained everything to her.

"DARE I ASK HOW THIS HAPPENED?" He looked at Sans, but his brother was being uncharacteristically quiet today. In fact, he hadn't said a word this entire visit.

"The night we had our family dinner," Frisk said, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "After we passed out, we can only assume our souls made decisions without us. I remember that night clearly, and neither Sans nor I initiated this."

Boss nodded, his steepled fingers brought to his mouth in a contemplative gesture. "I SEE. AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS?"

"Because you're family. You deserve to know." She looked up at Sans when he pushed against her side. He gave her a pointed look.

Boss scowled at the silent interaction between the two. Clearly, there was something else going on. "WELL, WHAT IS IT?"

Frisk swallowed and looked at Boss for a minute. "Um, there may be something else we wanted to ask you." Sans pinched her that time. "Ow! Okay, _I_ wanted to ask you."

"WHAT IS GOING ON? SANS, WHY ARE YOU NOT TALKING, AND WHY DID YOU PINCH FRISK?"

"I got nothin' to say," was all Sans said.

"He's not happy," Frisk said.

"CLEARLY. THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING."

She sat up a little straighter and put her hand over the mark Sans had created when he pinched her. It was bleeding, but not badly. He didn't move to heal it, and she didn't bother to ask him to.

"I would like to know how you might feel about me asking you to raise the baby."

Sans pushed her up, steadying her when he realized he'd been a little too rough, then got up and walked out of the room.

Boss was too surprised by her question to care where his brother went. He watched as she slowly sat back down, looking after Sans with a mournful expression on her face. She sighed deeply before wrapping her arms around her stomach and turning her attention back to him.

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU WANT ME TO RAISE YOUR CHILD?"

Frisk brought her legs up as far as they would go—even though it had only been a week and a half, she was already starting to feel something hard and bulky in her lower stomach—and crossed her arms over the top of them.

"Because it's obviously going to kill me, and Sans has apparently decided that it's going to kill him, too. I'm trying to talk him out of it, but he won't even listen to me. Anytime I try to bring it up, he walks away from me." She laid her head down so her forehead rested on her arms. "Neither of us is happy about this, Boss. I don't want to have this baby, and if it wouldn't kill me faster to abort it I would. But, circumstances being what they are, the most I can do is at least try to give you a reason to live after we're both gone."

He flinched. He'd already known that Sans was going to kill himself when she died. Sans had talked to him about that after they'd started being amicable again. He cleared his throat and straightened his spine. "I HAVE PLENTY OF REASON TO LIVE." Did he? He had the underground to run, but he found it hard to really care what happened to it at the moment. It could go back to the way it had been before with monsters snatching humans at will and going after each other's throats over the slightest of insults.

"Boss…Papyrus…I know I haven't known you for long, but I know how important family is. I found my mother's dead body when I was ten years old. After that, the only constants in my life were Sans and fear. Not fear of him, either, but fears I've never talked about, even to him. I was scared that I would never have a family again, and I was kind of right. I mean, he's my family, but I never had a human family again. I'd like to consider you a part of my family, too. Kind of like a brother-in-law?"

Boss was shaking. He tried to hide it, but he could hear the faint rattle in his bones. He knew she had to hear it, too.

"I know you lost your parents when you were young, and that Sans hasn't exactly been a model brother since then. I'm not blaming him; he went through some shit, too. My point, I guess, is that I've seen you open up to him. The first time I met you, you tried to kill me because he broke the rules. Maybe there was more to it than that, I don't know and I'm not going to ask. It can't have been easy letting Sans back in your life or accepting me as much as you have. And now, because of this stupid little thing," she gestured to her stomach, "your family is…" she couldn't make herself finish. She felt sick, like she'd just opened a bunch of Boss' wounds that she had no right opening.

"YES."

Frisk looked at him, a little confused for a moment. "What—"

"YES, I WILL…RAISE THE…THING." It seemed it would be all that he would have left of his brother, after all. It would be at least part Sans.

She got up and crossed the small space to stand in front of him. She held out her arms in a silent request for a hug. He pulled her down onto his lap and held her tightly. He still shook, and the feel of rattling bones against her body made her shiver.

"Thank you, Papyrus." She closed her eyes, happy that at least Sans' brother would survive this ordeal.


	22. And They All Lived Happily Ever After

A/N: This is a beast of a chapter. In many ways, I guess. I thought about breaking it up when I realized just how freaking long it is, but then I decided against it. You guys just get a super long ending. How's that?

So this really is the end of the story. Read carefully, as there's a lot of graphic shit in this chapter, okay? A gory birth reminiscent of the Alien chestburster scene, suicide, blood and shit...not literal shit, but...yeah.

* * *

And They All Lived Happily Ever After…Just Kidding

"Talk to me, Princess."

Frisk looked up at Sans as they laid together on the bed. They'd been spending a lot of their time there lately. Not all of it was sex; they'd talk and snuggle and just appreciate the time they had left together.

"What do you want me to say?" She reached up and touched his face gently, her fingertips sliding across his cheekbone.

He shrugged. "Anything. Keep my mind from wandering."

She got it. Neither of them wanted to think about the inevitable, so they'd been doing anything they could to avoid it. Perhaps it wasn't the greatest reason to dive into their sex life again, but neither Frisk nor Sans cared much.

Being faced with her own mortality had done some strange things to Frisk. While she still felt a little tug of anxiety when Sans talked about tying her down or hurting her, she wanted to have as many experiences with him as she could before she died. She had to talk him into tying her up again, the whole while begging him to hurt her. She needed to feel like they could have their normal lives back, even if only for a short time. It had taken a few times for both of them to loosen up enough to reach anything they might call normal, but they were getting there.

"Should we fuck again?" she asked. Her body was a little sore still from that morning, but she could probably go again.

Sans shook his head. "No. I know you ain't up for it, sweetheart. Just…talk to me."

She couldn't think of anything to say. She licked her lips and leaned up to kiss him. "What if I ask you questions instead?"

He leaned into her touch. "'S long as they ain't got nothing to do with this shit, go for it."

"When did monsters start hurting humans?" She'd asked that question ages ago—at least, it felt like ages. It could have been a lifetime ago for all she knew. In reality, it had only been three weeks.

"Not sure when it started. That's been goin' on since there's been monsters, I think. When I was young, one 'a the stories Mom would tell was about how humans got their monsters under the bed." He stopped a second to smile at her, remembering back when he was under her bed. She smiled back and kissed him. "According to her story, monsters were appalled by how humans treated their kids. Monster kids are treasured, usually. They ain't been tainted by all the hate and violence constantly around us, so it's almost like they're a balm when things get too crazy. Humans didn't seem to see it that way; they'd treat their kids like slaves and beat 'em 'n' shit. So some monster got it in their head that they could protect the kids by bringin' 'em down here. That didn't end well; monsters thought the human kids were fair game and started eatin' them, too."

"Was this a bedtime story?" Frisk asked, a little concerned about how it was going to play out.

He chuckled a little and kissed her forehead. "We never really got bedtime stories; it was more of a 'whenever Mom decided to tell us about shit' story."

She nodded. "Okay, I'm listening again."

"That stopped pretty quick, and the monsters that wanted to protect the human kids took to stayin' above with 'em. Although humans are easily overpowered when ya know what you're doing, when you're surrounded by 'em they're vicious. More than a few monsters got dusted before they realized they had to stay outta sight. So, they started stayin' under the kids' beds. Scarin' 'em came later, after humans started learning how to care for their young properly."

Frisk thought about that for a second. "So, Boss really didn't do much on that front when he took over, then? Or did he make new rules?"

"Kinda made new rules. Some monsters don't got the guts for hurtin' people, so he started assigning them to watch the human kids. It started out as kind of a joke, but then it developed into somethin' a lotta monsters are proud of."

"So, since you're obviously a monster that has the guts to hurt people, why were you assigned to be a monster under my bed?"

He smiled and nuzzled his face against hers. "I got a bit too happy with my interrogatin'. Meaning I killed people Boss wanted more information out of too many times."

"Why do you interrogate people? Are you looking for certain information?"

"Eh, sorta. When Boss took over, he started limiting the types of humans we could get. He thought it would be a good idea to keep the violence and shit down here and let the peaceful humans stay up there. So, when we get someone that's affiliated with somethin' big and nasty up there, we try to get as much information out of 'em as possible. Gangs and pedophiles and shit. It helps us determine who we're gonna get next, and apparently it helps out the peaceful humans."

Frisk nodded. That made sense. "So, even if the people who tried to hurt me hadn't tried, they'd still have been viable targets for you since they were either gang members or pedophiles?"

"Yeah, but if they hadn't tried to hurt you, I wouldn't'a had any reason to bring 'em down here. That wasn't part of my job. Thank fuck they did, because I think I really would have gone completely insane if I hadn't had the chance to shed some fucking blood all those years." He shuddered, thinking about how that could have gone.

She snorted. "Yeah, thankfully they tried to hurt me." She rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean, Princess." He hugged her a little tighter. "Keep askin' me shit."

She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something for him to answer. "Why do you like to hurt people?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. It's been a part of my nature since I was a kid. First time I killed someone, I was eight years old."

She looked up at him, surprised. "Your first human?"

"No; monster. I was a runt when I was a kid, and other monsters thought they'd take advantage of a quick kill. I put up more of a fight than they were ready for and dusted three of 'em. The other two ran away before I could get a fatal blow in. I felt this sense of satisfaction when I watched them fall to dust. I even went as far as picking fights just to have a reason to kill somethin'. Boss gave me this huge lecture about how monsters should look after each other because there was already enough violence in the world. Even as a kid, he was a fucking saint. I actually didn't start killin' humans until Boss took over. I'll never forget the first one. It was like I'd found heaven."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You're in hell, and you talk about finding heaven."

He tried to look indignant about her comment. "Even us fucking hell-monsters can find peace, okay? Mine was in the blood of murderers and rapists. And, _fuck_ , they tasted good. Better than any monster food I've ever had."

She swatted at his chest. "Hey! I thought we agreed you'd never talk about eating people in front of me again."

"I ain't talkin' about eatin' them in front'a you, sweetheart." He grinned.

"Oh, you're so funny. Seriously, though, please don't talk about that."

"Fine. Ask me somethin' else then."

Suddenly, all she could think about was what was going to happen to her. The baby inside her was going to eat her when it was ready to be born. She shivered and pressed herself against Sans. His hands rubbed her back.

"'M sorry, sweetheart." He had a feeling he knew what she was thinking. He really shouldn't have mentioned eating humans. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm scared, Sans." They were already three weeks in, and he'd said she had a few months at most. She could already see the baby bump forming against her belly. Even now, as she snuggled against Sans, she could feel it pressing against her.

"I know. I am too, Princess."

"You know you don't have to die." She said it with more venom than she'd meant to.

"That's not why I'm scared."

She looked up at him. "Then why?"

"You really gotta ask? I'm fucking terrified of seeing you in that much pain. Although, if it's any consolation, your body's nervous system will probably shut off after the first little bit." That didn't make it any easier for him.

It didn't do anything for her. "But you're choosing to die, Sans. I'm…I don't want this. Can't you take it as my dying wish for you to live?"

He huffed, a humorless smirk spreading across his mouth. "No, because I ain't gonna live without you. 'Sides, if I were to live, that baby would die before your heart even stopped beating."

"I'd be okay with that." She pressed herself up closer to him, her face level with his. "I really would, Sans. If you live, I'd be okay with the baby dying. Kill it, and then you can live." She knew she was pleading with him. She could also tell from the look on his face that he wasn't going to change his mind.

"No."

She half-growled, half-screamed in anger and fear and pushed away from him. "I hate you right now, I hope you know that." She stalked out of the room, not sure where she was going to go.

Sans turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He heard her in the bathroom. She'd locked the door as if she thought that would keep him out if he was desperate enough to get to her. He let her have her space, knowing she needed it right now. A small part of him felt bad for putting her through this. He could just tell her that he'd keep on living for her, but it didn't feel right to lie to her like that. He could explain that his soul would wither without her. Maybe she'd be less traumatized by the knowledge of his impending death if she knew exactly why he wouldn't budge on the issue. She didn't need to know how long it would take on its own.

A half an hour later, Frisk came back in the room. She looked so small and delicate, clothed in one of his sweaters and holding herself as tears fell down her cheeks. She climbed onto the bed and fitted herself next to him, curling up and clinging to his ribs.

"I'm sorry, Sans," she sobbed. "I don't hate you."

He ran his claws through her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I know ya don't, sweetheart. You ain't gotta apologize to me, okay?"

"But I said—"

"I heard what you said. 'S okay. You're angry, and you got every right to be."

"Why do you have to do this? Why can't you just—lie to me, Sans! Just tell me you'll live. Please?" She needed to hear that he would be okay.

"I can't do that. Sweetheart, you need to know something. I wasn't gonna tell you, but I think you might understand."

She sniffled and moved to look up at him. "Might understand what?"

"We're soulmates, right? So that means our souls are connected."

Her brow furrowed. "But not like mine and the baby's are?"

"No, not like that. What happens to your soul won't directly happen to mine, or vise versa. It's like this: when you're happy, I can feel how happy you are. It makes my soul a little brighter. When you're sad or angry or in pain, I can feel that, too. In a way, you can feel my soul, too. It's not as strong for you since you don't got a magic soul." He kissed her and pulled her up a little further so she didn't have to crane her neck so hard to see his face. "If I were to die before you, you'd feel it like a normal loss at first, but eventually it would drag you down into a deep depression. Your soul can't go out the way mine can, so you wouldn't really die from it, but you'd probably commit suicide anyway."

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, if I was to do nothing after you die, my soul would start to go out. It would kill me, eventually. But I'd be in such a vulnerable position I wouldn't be able to protect myself. You've seen how monsters around here want me dead anyway. When ya kill a monster, you gain some of their magic. I got some'a the strongest magic down here. Boss is a close second. I ain't gonna let any monster kill me. I'd rather do it myself than let any other fucker have that. And no way I'd ask Boss to do it; he's got enough shit on his soul."

Her lips trembled as she processed what he'd said. Even if she could convince him to stay alive, it wouldn't last for long. "How long would it take if you didn't kill yourself?"

He groaned. "Do I have to tell you?"

She glared. "A long time, then? Would you have a chance to live your life before you get vulnerable, or would that happen right away?"

"Fuck. _Fine_. I was trying to make this shit easier on you, Frisk. Why you gotta keep askin' shit? You know I ain't gonna lie to you. The whole thing with my soul going out after you die would take a good seven, eight decades. I wouldn't actually be vulnerable until it got about halfway dim, so for shits 'n' giggles, let's say a few decades. No, I ain't gonna wait that long, and there ain't nothin' you can say to change my mind neither."

She closed her eyes tightly against a need to yell at him again. Even if he'd forgiven her easily, she refused to say things like that ever again. She loved him, and dammit she only had a small amount of time left to show him.

"Will you make it fast?"

"Yeah."

"It won't hurt, will it?"

"Don't know. I really don't care. I ain't scared of that pain."

She nodded and kissed him, pressing her body against his. "I want you to fuck me, Sans."

He chuckled against her lips. "Talk about changing the subject." He thought about making a joke about turning her on with their discussion, but he figured that wouldn't do anything but turn her completely off. Instead, he pushed her to her back and kissed her deeply.

* * *

Frisk looked down at her stomach, her hands sliding gracefully over her bulging belly as she showered. She'd been pregnant a month and a half, and already she looked like she was several months in. As the bulge got bigger, she started to feel tiny flutters of movement. It was both exciting and terrifying. Sans convinced her that the baby's soul was the one responsible for her happy feelings; it was cheerfully destroying her life, and being as connected as she was to it, it was manipulating her soul into feeling like she didn't hate it. She accepted that reasoning because she really didn't want to be happy about this.

After she was clean, she got out and grabbed the towel off the rack to dry off. As she stepped out onto the tile, her foot slipped in the small puddle she'd made. She cried out as she fell to the ground, landing on her ass.

"You okay, Princess?" Sans asked on the other side of the door.

She stared down at her stomach, a strange feeling of dread making it hard to breathe. "Sans!"

He opened the door and crouched down next to her. "What happened?" He helped her stand and wrapped the towel around her.

"I slipped. Sans, the baby…I fell." She pulled the towel up so she could see the bump. "Is it okay? What if I hurt it? They're so fragile." She was only barely aware of tears falling from her eyes.

Sans made her look up at him, framing her face with his hands. "Frisk, calm down. The baby's fine. I'm askin' if _you're_ okay. Did you hurt yourself?"

She swallowed and took a second to feel out her body. Her ass hurt, but she didn't think there'd be anything more than a bruise. "No, I'm okay. How can you be so sure about the baby?"

He sighed and looked down, realizing that her stomach was glowing. Her fall must have agitated it. "You're scared because the baby's scared. I can be so sure cuz ain't nothin' gonna kill that thing without you bein' equally dead. If it was actually hurt in any substantial way, then you would be, too."

"Can you reassure it?"

He grimaced and pulled back. "Fuck no."

She looked up at him, terror in her eyes. "Please, Sans? I can't do it, and I can't…I feel like I'm gonna have a panic attack right here. Please?"

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm doin' this for you, not for it. I seriously don't give a fuck how scared that little shit is."

She nodded. "I know. Thank you."

With another sigh, he put his hand on her glowing abdomen and carefully gripped the baby's soul. Instead of trying to hurt it, however, he gently pressed feelings of security into it. He hadn't done this in a long time. The last time he could remember ever making another monster feel safe or protected was before his dad had disappeared and Boss had gotten hurt. His technique was a little rusty, but he knew it was working from the way Frisk seemed to calm down.

He didn't let go until the glow disappeared. Taking her hand, he led her to the bedroom to get dressed.

"I promise I won't ask you to do that again," she said quietly as she pulled on a pair of comfortable pants.

He huffed. "Don't make promises you can't keep, sweetheart."

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, the next time the kid gets freaked over something, you'll be beggin me to do it again. Not cuz you want me to make the baby happy; we both know that shit ain't happenin'. You'll ask me to do it because it has such a strong hold on you and you'll feel every fucking ounce of fear and pain it feels."

She sucked in a breath and looked down at her feet. Well, it would be her feet if she could see them. With a sigh, she walked up to Sans and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Ain't your fault, Princess"

* * *

A sudden, sharp pain woke Frisk from a dead sleep. She sat up slowly and looked down at her now-gigantic abdomen. She wasn't sure how she was going to get much bigger, but Sans said he thought the baby had another few weeks left.

She looked over at him and smiled at his sleeping face. It was rare now to see him without a scowl or some other angry expression. To see him sleeping meant seeing him looking peaceful. She reached out and gently ran her fingers over his skull. She could feel tears start pricking in her eyes as she contemplated her future. They could barely even have sex anymore since it seemed to upset the kid. It still got scared when it was upset, but now it seemed to get violent as well. The last time Sans had to calm it down, he'd also had to heal her two broken ribs.

She laid back down and snuggled up to Sans as much as she could. She was worried about what the pain had been that had woken her up, but she didn't feel anything out of the ordinary anymore. The baby had probably just shifted in a way that clawed her. She swallowed and tried not to think about it.

She couldn't help it. Her thoughts kept circling back to the pain she was going to endure. She wanted to believe that the pain itself wouldn't last long before endorphins or something else kicked in so she wouldn't feel anything anymore, but she had no way of knowing for certain. For all she knew, she would feel every single thing until she drew her final breath.

And what would happen after? Sans was adamant that he didn't want to touch the baby, but what if his anger overtook him? What if he chose to exact revenge on the baby before…?

She decided she needed to talk to Boss. It was probably a good idea anyway, since he was going to be caring for the child. They didn't have a way to contact him to let him know when the birthing began, so they should probably all be together. She hated to ask it of him; he had found his mother just as she'd found hers, and now she was going to ask him to be present when the rest of his family was taken from him.

She sucked in a breath and told herself it was for the best. Nothing could be done about their circumstances, no matter how many times she wanted to argue with them or throw fits about it. She had to make sure her baby and her brother-in-law had their best chances at survival.

* * *

"Do we have to do this?" Sans asked, rubbing his nasal ridge.

Frisk looked up at him as she clung to his arm for support. "Yes, we do." She felt bad for him, but on the other hand she was a little annoyed that he wanted to pretend that they never needed to talk about what would inevitably happen.

He sighed deeply before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and teleporting to Boss' place. Boss let them in and gave Sans a questioning look. He pointed at Frisk. Like before, he had nothing to say on the topic she wanted to discuss, so he chose to stay quiet. He knew he'd only end up hurting her if he spoke. He was too angry about the whole situation to trust himself to say much of anything at this point. He'd never felt like he needed to filter his thoughts before; it was an odd thing, keeping thoughts to himself simply because they might hurt someone else. She was too important to him, however, and she had only a few more weeks to live. He could keep damaging thoughts to himself for a few more weeks. After that, it wouldn't matter.

"Hey, Papyrus." Frisk leaned up on her toes to give him a hug. Her stomach had affected her balance recently, and she nearly fell against him.

He held her steady while hugging her back gently. He still wasn't entirely sure what to think of her hugs. He knew she meant nothing by them—that he was essentially a brother to her—but it didn't change the fact that the only time he was used to getting this close to anyone was either killing them or fucking them.

Boss gently pushed her back. "WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY DID YOU COME BY?" He was suddenly terrified; was she ready to give birth?

"Ain't time yet, Boss," Sans said softly, reading his brother's face. "She just wants to talk to ya."

Boss let out a relieved sigh before ushering them all to the living room. "OKAY, WHAT IS IT?"

Frisk cleared her throat. "Um, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about how things will go down when it is time." She tried to reach out for Sans, but he pulled away from her. Instead of chasing him, she clasped her hands together in front of her and told herself he was just mad at the situation. She was too, dammit! She wanted to think she could rely on his support, but that was clearly not the case. A part of her wondered if he'd even stay in the room when the baby ate its way out of her.

That was what this visit was all about, though. She needed to know someone would be there with her. If Sans chose to leave her, then so be it. She couldn't stop him. But, fuck, she didn't want to die alone.

"DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'LL WANT TO…" He wasn't sure how to word that. 'Give birth' was far too peaceful. 'Die' seemed too harsh.

"I don't know. I was wondering if I could ask you to be there, though? I mean, with me?" Her hands wrung tighter together over her stomach, her fingertips turning red from the pressure she was putting on them.

He looked over at Sans, who was standing near the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his head down as though he were glaring holes into the carpet.

"SANS WILL BE WITH YOU."

Sans looked up at his name. He glared at Boss. He knew he'd be there for her; there wasn't a force in heaven or hell or anywhere in between that could keep him from her, but that didn't mean he had to like planning this shit.

He watched Frisk closely then as she shrugged her shoulders. Her fingers shook as she twined them together. Her face was red, her brow furrowed, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"I…well…"

She peeked over at him, something strange in her face. It hit him that she really didn't know if he'd be there for her. Was that why she was determined to come here today? She wanted to know that someone would be with her when she died? He pushed away from the wall and went to her, pulling her into a hard hug.

"I'll be there, Princess. Ain't nothin' gonna stop me." He kissed the top of her head. "You ain't gonna be alone, sweetheart. I promise."

Her whole body shuddered against him as she grasped at him tightly. "Thank you, Sans." Her voice was barely a whisper. She wasn't sure how she could be feeling so relieved in her current situation, but somehow she was. She still wanted Boss to be there for the baby but knowing that Sans would be there with her made her feel marginally better about the whole thing. She refused to let herself think about what would happen after she was dead.

She turned slightly in Sans' embrace to face Boss again. "I'd like you there as well. You don't have to stay in the same room if you don't want to. Just…for the baby, you know?" She kind of shrugged and nuzzled against Sans' arm.

Boss nodded. "YES, I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN. BECAUSE I HAVE ALREADY AGREED TO CARE FOR THIS CHILD, I WILL BE THERE TO SEE THAT IT IS SAFE AFTER IT MURDERS YOU."

Frisk flinched but nodded. "Thank you."

"I WILL NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU INTEND FOR THIS TO HAPPEN."

She looked up at Sans. He shook his head, indicating he had no interest in deciding where she was going to die. She hugged him a little tighter and kissed his sternum over his shirt.

"I don't know. Where would be the easiest for you?"

Boss thought about that. In reality, no matter where it happened, he would be faced with the cleanup. He wouldn't allow any other monster to touch his brother's dust. He sucked in a deep breath and told himself that it really was better to get this planned out. He could determine where he wanted his brother to…

"I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN ANYWHERE!" he yelled. "HOW COULD YOU THINK IT WAS OKAY TO DRAG ME INTO THIS?" He looked at Sans. "I DON'T FUCKING WANT THIS!"

Sans let go of Frisk and stepped up to Boss. For a half a second, Boss was nervous that he was mad for yelling at Frisk. Instead of getting after him, however, Sans reached out and pulled Boss into a hug. Boss' arms dangled uselessly for a moment, unsure of how he felt about the contact. Sans' arms constricted around him, and he finally found the courage to return the hug.

"Nobody wants this, Paps," he said softly. "You don't have to do shit. You can let the fucker die if you want to. Ain't no one gonna force you to take care of it."

"BUT I ALREADY SAID I WOULD." The Terrible Papyrus never went back on his word.

"I know. You got a good soul, bro. You're one'a the few monsters who do. You said you'd raise it cuz you always wanna help. You don't need to do that. Let it die, and just take care'a you."

Boss fought back tears he refused to shed as he hugged Sans tighter. Although a part of him wanted to agree with Sans and let the baby die of whatever natural causes it ran across on its own, he just couldn't. As Frisk had said before, family was important, and that baby would be all the family he'd have left. It would be a living reminder of his brother.

"I CAN'T LET IT DIE," he said, feeling defeated and yet hopeful at the same time. "I CAN'T. PLEASE COME HERE WHEN IT'S TIME."

Sans nodded. "We will."

He finally pulled back from the hug and went back to Frisk. She took his hand and tried to hide new tears from him. He wasn't sure why she even bothered this time; he knew she'd be afraid Boss would agree to let it die. He had to let Boss know that was an option and that he wouldn't be angry if he chose to take it. A part of him had known he wouldn't. He wasn't lying when he said Boss was one of the few monsters with a good soul. Yeah, he'd made bad decisions and had let his anger out in not-so-productive ways, but overall the things he did were to help people.

"I'LL BE THERE WITH YOU IF YOU WANT ME TO, FRISK."

She nodded. "I'd like you to take the baby. When it's out. Take it so Sans doesn't kill it."

"I told you I don't wanna touch it." Sans grimaced at the mere idea of looking at it.

"I know, but you might think differently after." She squeezed his fingers and kissed the top of his arm.

"SHE'S RIGHT, SANS. YOU DO TEND TO MAKE IRRATIONAL, IMPULSIVE DECISIONS. IT'S ONLY WORSE WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ANGRY."

Sans huffed. "I'm already angry, bro."

"I THINK WE ALL ARE."

* * *

It was time. She could feel it. It wasn't pain or pressure or anything physical. It was in her soul. The hold the baby had on her soul was loosening.

"Sans!" Maybe she had a chance! If the baby was going to break ties with her soul before killing her, then maybe Sans could—

A crushing weight on her chest made her catch her breath. Still, it wasn't physical. Could the baby pick up on her thoughts?

"You okay, Princess?" Sans asked, eye sockets wide.

It really was any day now. They both felt like they were living on borrowed time, and it had put them both on edge. Their fights were brief but violent. Sans had never before threatened physical violence against her, but during one particular argument he'd actually caught himself raising a hand at her. He'd apologized and she'd forgiven him, but she knew he wouldn't forgive himself.

"I felt something weird," she said, still breathing heavily. "It was like…do you think it will detach itself from my soul before it's born?"

He huffed. "Not likely. You can dream, though. You know it'd be dead before it could hurt you if that was the case."

She nodded; she had wanted to think the same thing. She told him what had happened, and he cursed.

"The fucker's feeling your intent. It's making choices based on your fucking intent."

She swallowed and put her hands on her stomach. "Do you think you would be able to pull it out when it starts hurting me? I mean, I know you don't want to touch it, but what if—"

He was shaking his head, staring at the floor. "I've already thought about that, sweetheart. In monster pregnancies, the baby will attack the mother if someone tries to interfere. I ain't gotta clue what would happen if we try to interfere here, but somethin' tells me it'd go for your heart."

"Fuck!" She wanted to scream and cry and throw another tantrum, but none of it would do any kind of good.

Sans stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her. She let the contact comfort her, but it only lasted a few moments.

A sharp stab somewhere deep inside her made her crunch down, clinging to his ribs, and she cried out. Had he not been there, she would have doubled over. It happened again, and a wave of terror struck her hard.

"No, please! I don't want to die! Please, god, no!" She crumpled, her knees giving out on her as something scratched along the inside of her belly.

Sans gripped her tighter and teleported to Boss' living room. He shrieked out his brother's full name, already panicking and unsure of what to do. Boss appeared in the room less than a minute later and started barking orders at his brother. Take Frisk to the bathroom. Set her gently in the bathtub. She screamed and flailed, hurting herself on the side. It struck Boss that it probably shouldn't have mattered, but somehow it did. Take her out of the tub. Set her on the floor.

Sans obeyed each order without question. Boss realized it was probably the first time he'd ever done so; he normally had to at least give him a little backtalk before he did what he was told. Not this time. Not with his soulmate clinging to him as if he could somehow help her. Boss found no satisfaction in Sans' quick compliance, however. He found it disturbing.

Frisk clung to Sans desperately, praying for the moment the pain would end. She could feel her baby's claws and teeth shredding her insides. She was certain her pelvis was broken. She couldn't move her right leg, and her left seared with sharp, shocking pain jittering down from the base of her spine to her toes every few seconds. She focused on Sans in front of her, her fingers wrapped so tightly around his ribs she was almost surprised they didn't break.

"Get it out!" she screamed. "Get it out of me, _**please**_! I'm not ready! I can't…I _don't want this_!"

Against his better judgement, Sans found himself pressing his claws into her abdomen. She shrieked again, this time from the external pain, and her already unfocused eyes glazed over. He felt the reverberating crunch as her spine was crushed by the baby's kick downward. He could heal her, he thought. He could get the spawn out, heal her, and wait for it to detach itself from her soul before he killed it. They could still have a chance.

As his hand finally found bone that didn't belong to her, it surged upward toward her ribs. He grasped at it, probably a leg, but it slipped from his fingers. Before he could find it again, her chest jutted unnaturally. A thick, muted crack sounded around the room, and a rib shoved outward from her side. She was past the pain by now, her eyes watching his face. He knew she couldn't see him. Not really.

Her body continued to thrash, mostly a result of the baby panicking inside her and searching for a way out that wasn't near Sans' hand. Blood trickled from her mouth and nose. As hard as he wanted to deny it, he knew she was past healing. Her organs would have been minced by now with how hard the baby was fighting to get out and away from a possible threat. He could heal broken bones—he was a master at that—but he couldn't rebuild pureed intestines. Instead of trying, he kept his eyes on her face as her grip on his ribs slowly began to loosen. He blocked out the muted sounds of her bones crunching and scraping against each other, focusing on the fading life in her eyes. She managed to reach up, and he bent to let her touch his face.

He didn't fight Boss when he felt a gentle tug on his arm. He withdrew from her abdomen and wondered briefly at the change in temperature along his bones. His whole arm was bright red. Parts of her flesh clung to him. He barely registered that Boss had pulled the baby from where it had clawed a hole in the side of her chest. Its tiny shriek of terror had no affect on him. He didn't care. He turned his eyes back to Frisk's face only to realize that she had already let go. Her hand still on his chest had been caught between his ribs and merely dangled. He worked her fingers free and set her hand gently beside her. Despite knowing how futile it was, he sent a pulse of healing magic into her. It didn't respond. She was truly dead.

Instead of the rush of anger she had been afraid of, he felt nothing. He pulsed another blast of healing magic into her, then another.

"SANS."

He ignored his brother, trying desperately to heal his beloved.

A skeletal hand rested on his shoulder. "SANS, PLEASE. IT'S OVER."

Sans sat back on his heels, staring at Frisk with red tears streaming down his cheekbones. He didn't know when he'd started crying, but he didn't try to stop himself now. He sucked in a deep breath and nodded. It was over. He lifted a shaking hand to his chest and pulled out his soul. He stared at it for a moment before he looked up at Boss.

"Can ya leave, please?" He really didn't want his brother to see this.

Boss stared Sans with a mix of fear and grief on his features. He didn't want to leave. A part of him wanted to believe that if he stayed in the room, Sans wouldn't hurt himself. He knew better. If he stayed, he'd have to watch his brother dust himself. He couldn't handle that. But he couldn't just give up, either.

"PLEASE DON'T DO THIS," he begged, holding the squirming baby closer to his chest. "STAY ALIVE A WHILE LONGER?"

Sans shook his head. "I can't do that. Just leave. Please, Paps; you've seen enough."

His arms tightened around his charge, reaffirming his purpose, and reluctantly nodded. "I LOVE YOU, BROTHER."

"I know, Paps. I love you, too. Always have, even when you've been a literal pain in my ass." His breath hitched, and he hunched over in pain. "I can't do this, Papy. I can't…I ain't gonna live without 'er."

Boss straightened his spine. Knowing words were useless at this point, he turned and left the room. He leaned against the wall outside the bathroom and, for the first time, looked down at the baby in his arms. It had calmed down once it realized it wasn't in danger. It was a tiny skeleton with a bright, white soul shining through its ribs. Its teeth were sharp as he'd suspected they would be. He carefully lifted one of its hands and inspected its fingers. They ended in sharp claws. He looked it over, searching its bones as he went. It was a little girl, judging by the shape of her pelvis. He scowled at the innocence staring up at him through wide, blank sockets. How could something so pure have caused so much damage? He knew the answer already, but he didn't want to think it. The baby had only reacted to stimuli; it hadn't wanted to fight its way out of its mother the way it had. Then again, if Sans hadn't tried to reach her, then she would have simply eaten Frisk until she crawled out of her empty abdominal cavity.

Sans looked down at Frisk one last time. He could hear his brother outside the bathroom, but at least he wasn't seeing this. Carefully—although he wasn't sure why he used care at this point—he moved over her, straddling her legs. He'd make sure his dust was scattered over what he loved most. He closed his sockets and brought his hands together, making sure his soul was trapped securely between his metacarpals and phalanges. One more deep breath. He imagined an afterlife like humans believed there could be. He imagined seeing Frisk again and being able to be with her forever. It brought a smile to his mouth.

His hands shoved together and twisted, crushing his soul.

Boss flinched so hard he nearly dented the wall as a hard crunch was followed by the light spattering of dust falling onto the floor. He told himself to stay away. He didn't want to see what was in that room. A stronger part of him dragged him around the corner and back into the bathroom.

His eyes drifted to the floor a few feet in front of him. His brother's dust covered the mangled corpse of his new sister, slowly soaking up her blood as it cooled on the floor.

There had been a time, not long ago, that such a sight wouldn't have been much more than an annoyance. He'd never once hated his brother, but he'd built such strong walls that he thought he'd never feel affection again.

He couldn't blame Frisk. She'd made his brother happy.

He couldn't blame Sans. His brother had only been following orders, and it wasn't his fault he'd found his soulmate.

He didn't want to blame himself. He figured he probably should; if he hadn't forced his brother into that new job, he'd never have met Frisk.

That thought hurt. Sans had been so happy with her. He'd had his brother back.

He looked back at the abomination in his hands. He knew who to blame.

"IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY." His voice wavered with emotion. His hands tightened on the tiny monster. "THEY COULD HAVE LIVED UNTIL SHE WAS OLD; THEY COULD HAVE HAD _YEARS_ TOGETHER!"

The baby squirmed uncomfortably, the pressure on her tiny body becoming painful. Her face scrunched up and she made a few noises as if she were about to cry.

Anger continued to swell in his soul. "I COULD HAVE HAD MY BROTHER!" His hands continued to tighten their hold. "IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, THEY'D STILL BE ALIVE, AND I COULD HAVE A _FAMILY_."

He didn't loosen his grip even as the baby cried loudly and squirmed harder.

First his parents had been taken away from him. That had been bad enough, but afterward his brother wasn't the same. Boss had learned to close himself off, to expect rejection from the one person who had always been there for him. He'd learned the hard way that if he wanted something, he had to get it himself. He was alone in this harsh world, regardless of where Sans was or what he was doing.

Then she'd come along. Frisk had changed Sans. He was softer, more open, like he had been when they were children. He didn't push Boss away. He felt like he had his brother back, and that was scary. It was scary, but he'd slowly opened himself to the possibility. He knew he'd only have a set number of years with his new family, but that was okay. He would happily take what he could get.

He never counted on having only mere months.

He recalled the look on Frisk's face when she told him the news. She knew what it meant, and she was terrified. She would have done anything to get rid of the thing inside her. He was afraid for her as well and had found himself offering comfort before he could stop himself.

"YOU FUCKING DID THIS, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Something felt different. He focused his eyes on the baby and realized that he'd squeezed too hard. Fuck. No. No, no, _**NO**_!

Instead of dusting, the baby just laid silent in his hands. She was so still and quiet that Papyrus could almost pretend she was merely sleeping. Some small part of his logic knew that the child was dead; she didn't dust because she was half human.

He felt sick. She…she had been…all he'd had left of his brother. He'd killed their child.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO." He fell to his knees and cried. "PLEASE, I'M FUCKING SORRY." He pulled the towel away and poured healing magic into the baby, not expecting anything to happen. He heard a few tiny crunches and snaps, and then, miraculously, he felt movement.

The small skeleton's eyes opened, and a hand raised to her mouth.

Boss' soul swelled, and a relieved smile cracked across his face. He cried in earnest then, not sure if he was happy or sad. His arms lifted, bringing the baby to his face as he nuzzled carefully against her small form.

"I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU," he said with determination. "YOU MAY NOT HAVE A HAPPY LIFE, BUT YOU WILL BE SAFE." He wouldn't make promises he couldn't keep, even if he wanted to tell the child it would be as happy as any monster could be.

He then maneuvered the baby to cradle her in his arms and pulled off his scarf to wrap her up securely. Surely that would be more comfortable than a scratchy towel. He sat there for a long moment, holding the baby and looking mindlessly at the remains of his family. Memories of the last few months replayed in his mind as silent tears fell down his face.

He didn't move until the child began to squirm in earnest. He looked down at her and furrowed his brow bones. He was about to ask what was wrong when she started to cry. Her hands kept prodding at her mouth as if she wanted something.

Of course. Boss knew what that meant. He was grateful now for the times he'd helped orphaned monsters find new homes. He'd had to deal with babies only a small number of times, but those times had taught him what to feed them and the very basics of their care.

Standing awkwardly, Boss slightly rearranged his hold on the baby to secure her with one arm before moving to the kitchen. Frisk had already stocked up on formula for the baby.

As the baby suckled the bottle he held to its mouth, he paced the room.

"I SUPPOSE I HAVE TO NAME YOU NOW, SINCE YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE. APPARENTLY." A small part of him still wanted to kill the thing and be done with it. His soul hurt with the thought, and he remembered the brief moment of panic he'd felt when he thought she was actually dead. He sucked in a breath and looked down at her face.

Her tiny eyes were half lidded as she ate, her hands grasping incompetently at the bottle. She made small grunts and sighs, each one high-pitched and soft.

"I COULD JUST CALL YOU IT. OR THING. OR PERHAPS 'HAPLESS FUCKER'." He chuckled. The baby's eyes opened a little wider, and somehow Boss got the feeling it was looking at him. "WHAT? YOU ARE A HAPLESS FUCKER. EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD IS."

After a half a bottle, the baby pulled away and started to squirm again. Boss tried to get her to eat some more, but she refused to latch on again. She grunted several times before she started to cry.

"SPEAK, CHILD! WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

She only cried harder.

Boss sighed and put the bottle down. He picked up a wash cloth and gently cleared away the formula that had dripped down her chin. He then lifted the baby to his shoulder and gently patted her back. Even though skeleton monsters didn't do disgusting things like burp, he figured the action could at least be soothing. He was shocked when the baby let out a soft sound like a burp. He pulled her back and looked at her small face.

"I SUPPOSE YOU ARE HALF HUMAN. THAT'S BARELY A REASON, AND I DEMAND YOU EXCUSE YOURSELF."

The baby merely dangled securely in his grasp and yawned.

Boss chuckled and brought her back to his shoulder. "YOU ARE A BIT YOUNG FOR MANNERS, AREN'T YOU? UNCLE—UNCLE PAPYRUS SHOULD KNOW BETTER."

His soul felt weak as he said that. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be an uncle if he couldn't also be a brother. Unable to change his circumstances, he went back to the bathroom and slid down the wall until he sat and crossed his legs. He cradled the near-sleeping baby in his arms and secured his scarf around her a little more.

"SLEEP NOW, BABY. YOU'RE SAFE WITH ME."

As the child slept, he leaned his head back against the wall and cried.

* * *

 **SEVERAL YEARS LATER**

* * *

Boss watched impassively as the child he'd raised played with other children his age in his living room. Halis—Boss was terrible at being creative and so chose his mother's name—had a few friends over for the afternoon. He was thrilled that the kid was making friends. He told himself it was because he didn't want the kid to rely on him for companionship, but in reality, it was because he liked to see the kid happy.

The monsters of the hellish underground he lived in had first seemed to think that since Boss had adopted his dead brother's baby that he had gone soft. There had been a few moves on him and his position of power in the first couple of years. Boss had made damn sure everyone knew that just because he had a child to care for didn't mean he was any less willing to slaughter someone who wronged him.

He made a few changes as well. Human and monster relationships were now outlawed. He really wanted to end any dealings with humans at all, but that wasn't a decision he could make. There were too many jobs that would be lost and too many violent monsters that would revolt if he did that. Instead, he tightened rules and regulations.

A few monsters had decided that since Halis was half-human, she was the reason the new law on human and monsters had gone into effect. Although that assumption wasn't exactly wrong, Boss learned quickly that monsters were using it as a reason to not only hate the kid, but also to be violent toward her.

The first time Halis had come home with a bruised eye socket and a broken arm, Boss had cornered her until she told him everything. Bawling the whole time, the kid told Boss that a group of monsters had ganged up on her on her way home from a friend's house. They'd teased her verbally for a while until one monster 'accidentally' hit her. After that, it was a free-for-all.

Boss had paid each monster a visit, making an example out of them to show the entire underground what would happen if anyone dared hurt his niece again.

Unfortunately, that lesson had only lasted a few years. Boss had been teaching Halis how to use her magic so the kid could at least fight back. The next time she'd come home with bruises, Halis had gotten a few lethal hits in as well. Boss still made a point to teach the monsters a lesson or two.

Boss had made sure to tell Halis about her parents as she grew up. He never, ever wanted to hear the kid call him dad. He wouldn't be able to survive it.

The kid was in the middle of her teenage years now and fully able to take care of herself in fights. Her fighting style was a close match to that of her dad's. She'd even dusted a few monsters in the last fight she'd gotten into. Boss wasn't sure he liked seeing that happen, but he was happy to know that the kid was probably going to make it through her childhood.

* * *

A/N: Wow. It's over. I almost can't believe it! What didja think of it? Perhaps a bit bittersweet with Boss raising little Halis. In my original ending, the baby actually died when Boss squeezed her too hard, then he gets all upset and kills himself, too. Everybody died. It was too damn depressing and I had to make it happier so I could live with myself.

Thank you guys so much for reading and sticking with me throughout this story. I love you all. And a special thank you to Kamari333 on AO3 for suggesting the name I chose for the baby. I would have picked something extraordinarily stupid like Serif. So thank you, dear.

Now go read some fluff; y'all deserve it.


	23. Halis

A/N: I debated for way too long on how I would post this, mainly because I don't think I'm completely done exploring Halis' character. I wanted to be, but dammit she's fun to play with.

So, here's what I've kind of decided. Suggestions are highly welcome!

I'm going to post these sections here in one incredibly long segment because I just want to get them posted. Then if I do end up writing anything else for her, I'll post them in a separate story. I may even end up removing this chapter and posting each section as a chapter in a 'sorta-story' about Halis. I dunno. It's confusing, okay? And I might be slightly tipsy, so my judgement could be questionable at the moment.

Anyhow, please enjoy these short little snippets of Halis' life with Boss in hell. A few warnings about some of these segments include: eating really gross shit, some gore (of course!), mentions of child rape (not Halis), murder, and a bit of cuteness.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for future scenes or things you'd like to see me explore with her character. You can either leave them in a review or send them to me in an ask via Tumblr. My Tumblr is sheewolf85 dot tumblr dot com. Come frolic with me, as it's very likely that I'll put chapter-unworthy snippets of this story, and others, there.

You guys have to check out this amazing art by Malenchka on Tumblr. Put this shit in your address bar - sheewolf85 dot tumblr dot com slash post slash 173084195826 - and witness the inspiration for the first section, "Human Intolerance". Yeah. It's Malenchka's fault, y'all. Throw praises their way, please! Malenchka dot tumblr dot com

I've also been given a sneak peak into some art soon coming by taytay2656, so stalk their tumblr, too. taytay2656 dot tumblr dot com.

* * *

 **HUMAN INTOLERANCE**

Ugh.

Not this again. He knew how she felt about this. A part of her wondered if he did this as a form of punishment. Really, she wouldn't put it past him. His punishments ranged in severity from writing an apology letter to whoever she'd wronged to making her stay in her room for several hours. Granted, he'd never used food as a punishment before, but she was nine whole years old now! In only a few months, she'd reach double-digits. That had to mean his punishments would get harsher.

As Halis stared down at the eyeball spaghetti in front of her, she tried to think of what she could have done to deserve this meal again. If he was using it as a punishment, then it had to have been something within the last twenty-four hours. As she recounted her steps, it became clear that this was not a punishment. Not only had he been his normal self—not grumpy or angry like he was when she made punishable mistakes—she simply hadn't done anything wrong.

Dang it.

She speared an eyeball and held it up, looking at it. She had always been fascinated by all things human. She was, after all, half human. The day she discovered she had been eating human parts in her meals was a day she would rather forget. It almost felt like she'd been eating parts of herself, even if she had no flesh on her skeletal body. She preferred to examine human parts and wonder at how they all fit together and worked so harmoniously together. Her mother had been human, after all, and she wanted to know as much about her as she could.

Eyeballs, for example. Halis held the thing up closer to her face and grimaced at it. Her mother had two of them. She remembered a time, not long ago, when she'd stolen two eyeballs and took a picture of herself with them in her sockets just so she could try to see what she might look like with them. It wasn't pretty. She needed other stuff, like eyelids to keep them in place.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? EAT YOUR DINNER."

She sighed, and her grimace deepened with the thought of putting the thing in her mouth.

"Do I have to eat it, Uncle?" she asked, her voice soft.

The sound he made was nearly a growl. "YES, HALIS! I DON'T KEEP YOU SAFE JUST SO YOU CAN STARVE TO DEATH."

She nearly snorted. She couldn't starve to death if she tried. Her Uncle Papyrus—or 'Boss', as he was known to the rest of the underground—was nearly constantly shoving food at her. His excuse was that she was half-human, and so needed to eat more regularly than most monsters.

She knew better than to challenge his words, however. She had only ever joked about dying a small handful of times, and each time had been met with more anger than the previous. As cold and collected as he pretended to be on the outside, she knew inside he was terrified of losing her.

And, as unlikely as it was for him to lose her to starvation, she truly was more susceptible to that fate than any other monster. So, instead of arguing any further, she sucked in a resolved breath.

"Yes, Uncle."

And ate the eyeball.

She felt herself shudder involuntarily as aqueous liquid flowed over her conjured tongue. The taste reminded her of the time she attempted to drink cooking oil straight from the bottle, but it was thicker and stuck to the inside of her mouth. She held back a gag, telling herself to just swallow without chewing. Her magic could easily digest the chunks. As she tried, however, she felt an uneasy sensation at the back of her throat. She couldn't swallow it. Her magic refused to accept it. She gagged then, leaning over her plate and spitting the eyeball out before she was forced to vomit properly.

"Uncle Papyrus?" She peeked up at him apologetically.

Boss watched his niece with a strange sort of pity. He could practically see Frisk in Halis' reaction. He'd never thought about it before, but suddenly it was clear. He had been so stupid! Halis was half-human! Of course she'd have trouble eating human parts!

He sighed and stood up. He ignored her shocked and worried expression as he picked up her plate and took it to the kitchen. He left the squirming noodles on the plate but swiftly returned the eyeballs to the pan. Once completed, he set a few more things on her plate—all human-free—and went back to the table.

"YOU WILL NO LONGER BE REQUIRED TO EAT THE HUMAN PARTS."

Her answering smile was worth it. Her teeth were sharp and reminded him so sorely of Sans, but the curve of her mouth was undoubtedly Frisk.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Silently, they finished dinner together.

After dinner, Halis went to get ready for bed. As much as she wanted to stay up late and help her uncle plan the next day's activities, she knew better than to ask for that. He'd argue that she was still a child and required more sleep than adult monsters. She'd say she was already nine years old and certainly old enough to be out of stripes, and he'd just laugh at her. Monsters stayed in stripes until the tail end of their teenage years. She'd whine that she wasn't tired, and he'd either stare her down until she gave in or drag her sorry skeletal butt to bed himself.

She slipped into her striped pajamas before gently folding her scarf and setting it in the top drawer of her dresser. She'd had that red scarf since she could remember. Uncle Papyrus had told her that it used to be a part of his, and he'd wrapped her up in it when she was born. Alongside the scarf in the drawer were a few other things that held sentimental significance. A strange-looking teddy bear that her mother made—it was supposed to be scary, Uncle Papyrus had said, but it was so worn that it was more pathetic than anything else—a tiny pair of shoes—her first pair!—a picture, and a golden, triangular tooth.

She gently traced two distal phalanges over the tooth. It had been her dad's, something he'd gotten early in his life after he lost the real tooth in a fight.

Then she picked up the picture. According to Uncle Papyrus, it was the only picture of her dad in existence. Her mother had been the one to convince him to get it taken. In the picture, her dad held her mom close. He scowled dangerously at the camera while she smiled up at him. She wondered if the picture had been taken in their world or in her mother's. Uncle Papyrus wasn't sure, so she would probably never know. The background didn't give any clues, either; it looked like they stood in front of a wall that could really be anywhere.

She took the picture with her to her bed and sat against the wall. She curled her legs up, wrapped her arms around her knees, and settled in for a long moment of dissection.

Halis would almost say she was the spitting image of her dad. Almost. Their differences extended beyond her youth. His eye lights were bright red, where hers were white. His nasal ridge was sharp and flat, where hers curved upward and ended in a smooth process. His brow bones were lower on his face than hers were. The curve of her forehead was more similar to that of her mother's than of her dad's.

She had tried to make that face before, too. She'd stare in the mirror and scrunch her features, bare her teeth, and even growl in an attempt to look half as menacing as he did. It never worked. She just wasn't scary like he was. Maybe that was because of her age, and maybe she'd get scarier as she got older. She hoped so, because appearing cute and cuddly instead of dangerous was a quick way to get killed.

Next, she examined her mother in the image. Halis had wondered on more than one occasion what it would be like to be human—to have flesh and hair and fingernails instead of claws. She always thought her mother was so pretty. Her eyes were brown, nearly an exact match to the color of her hair, and her skin looked like it would be smooth and soft. The way she looked up at Halis' dad in the image made it clear that she loved him. Halis had no doubt that he loved her back. He had to have; otherwise Halis wouldn't even be here.

That was something she'd learned in school—monsters had to be in love for their souls to bond and their magic to create a new soul. When she'd asked her uncle why her parents died when she was born when most monsters lived, she'd learned the hard truth about human mothers having monster babies.

She sucked in a deep breath and reached up to wipe white tears from her face before she put the picture away. She shut the drawer reverently and went to tell her uncle goodnight.

* * *

 **CORNELIUS**

She didn't allow herself to stop when she heard what could have been footsteps behind her. She'd danced this dance a few too many times. She swallowed tightly and gripped the strap of her backpack at her shoulder a little tighter.

She was on her way home from a friend's house, and still in stripes. That really should have been enough to deter any monster from trying to hurt her, but she knew better. Not only was she the daughter of Sans—one of the most powerful monsters who had ever lived, apparently—she was also Boss' niece. That meant she had several targets on her back. Monsters wanted to dust her before she could potentially become as strong as her dad had once been. Joke's on them—she'd never even be a fraction as strong as he had been. She wasn't even scary! But also, she was Boss' weakness. Hurt her, and they hurt Boss.

Halis was now thirteen years old and had been all but forced into learning how to fight because of things like monster trailing her home. Her Uncle Papyrus had wanted to hire her a body guard, but then decided against it. It would draw too much attention to her, and he wasn't sure he could even trust anyone with the job. He couldn't do it himself, so that left the only option being to teach her how to fight.

She and her uncle had started training nearly two years ago, after she'd gotten into her first fight. It hadn't really even been a fight, and she had been lucky she'd survived it. Mysteriously, the monsters who had hurt her all seemed to disappear within a week of the incident. It had taken almost a full year before Halis realized what had happened to them, and she felt a sense of security knowing that her uncle would avenge her should anything happen to her.

Her hand on the strap at her shoulder squeezed a little tighter while her other went to the scarf around her neck. Even as prepared as she wanted to pretend she was, she wished her uncle was with her. She didn't like to fight monsters. The only ones who actively tried to fight her were adults, and they were all stronger than she was and hurt her.

She sucked in a deep breath and kept up her brisk pace. She was only a few streets away from home. If she could just—

No luck. The footsteps behind her picked up their pace, and soon there was a shadow looming over her. She barely managed to keep in a squeak of terror as she looked up.

A tall bear monster grinned down at her, its savage teeth already drooling with some strange form of desire.

"Hey, girlie," he said with fake camaraderie in his voice, "where ya headed?"

She cleared her throat and gripped her scarf a little tighter. "Home."

"Yeah? And where's home?" His paw landed on her shoulder, and she shuddered.

"You know damn well where my home is." She was one of the only two skeleton monsters in the entire underground. Anyone who didn't know who she was had to have been living in a different dimension their whole lives.

"Feisty. I like that." His paw tightened on her shoulder in three quick squeezes.

She pulled back sharply. "Can't you see I'm in stripes, you sicko?"

He laughed, a deep chuckle that almost seemed to echo in his chest. "I ain't comin' onto ya, kid."

"Then what are you doing?" She felt supremely uncomfortable. She picked up her pace a little more and wished, not for the first time, that she had the teleporting ability she'd been told her dad had. Maybe if she concentrated really hard, she could do it. She thought about her home, her living room, that spot on the carpet from when she'd accidentally spilled her dinner. That stain had never come out, despite her uncle's attempts.

No luck. She still walked beside the strange bear.

"Talkin' to ya, duh." He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his furry side. He dipped his head to press his muzzle against the side of her head. She tried again to pull away, but his grip was relentless. He spoke so softly that she doubted anyone but her could hear him. "'Sides, there's a group of lizards not far behind you talkin' about a reward for your dust."

She blinked, and a sudden fear rose up in her chest. She struggled against him harder, preparing to scream, but his other paw clapped on her mouth.

"No! No, I ain't gonna hurtcha. You misunderstood me. They want the reward, and I wanna make sure they ain't gonna get your dust. I just wanna make sure you get home, okay?"

She panted against his paw on her mouth, considering biting him or kicking him somewhere painful. She'd never been so scared in her life, and she couldn't actually make a decision about what to do. White tears gathered in her sockets as she looked up at the bear's face. He tugged her gently and continued walking.

"My name's Cornelius. I used to work with your dad. Can't say I liked the guy, but I sure as fuck respected him."

Halis felt herself relaxing marginally at the mention of her dad. Usually, when monsters talked about him, they could only talk about how much they'd wanted to kill him and gain a little bit of his magic. Even a small fraction of his magic would have boosted their own exponentially. To hear someone say that they respected him was a pleasant shock.

"You didn't want to kill him?" she asked hesitantly.

He huffed. "'Sometimes yes, sometimes no. He killed two of my cousins in a really horrific way. Not saying they didn't deserve it; I'm sure they did. That was something respectable about your dad; he didn't go out killin' shit for the thrill. He always had a reason."

"He worked for my uncle. He was like an enforcer, right?" She could get her uncle to tell her almost anything about the underground's past, his job, humans, etcetera; but when it came to her dad and his work, he'd usually clam up after a few sentences. She knew it wasn't because he didn't want her to know—it was just too painful for him to talk about.

"Yeah, kinda." His eyes shifted a little, looking around them and then back at her. "How much has Boss told you about humans and stuff?"

"You mean how monsters interrogate and torture them?" She smiled brightly. That was something she was going to be good at. She couldn't eat the fuckers, but man, she loved to feel around their insides and see how they worked. She'd learned a lot about some of her human tendencies by examining the corpses her uncle gave her.

"Yeah, that. Your dad was the best."

"I'm gunning for that title. Well, when I get out of stripes, anyway. Uncle Papyrus won't let me actually touch a live human until then."

Cornelius nodded. "Probably for the best. You're still building your magic reserves, and should one get a hit on you, it could be really dangerous."

She sighed. "Yeah, but I can only discover so much looking at dead humans. I want to see how their heart is strong enough to pump all that blood and how their muscles work and how their bones stay together and…" she blushed, a white glow brightening her cheeks. "I'm just curious."

Cornelius chuckled. "You're gonna do great, kid." He shifted and looked behind him. His demeanor slumped, and he cursed. "They're still there, dammit." One more glance. "I think…yep, there's more of 'em. Fuck."

"Can't we fight them? Uncle Papyrus has been teaching me."

The bear seemed hesitant. "Look, it ain't that I think you can't handle yourself, because I'm sure you can. I've heard…things about you. But one of the things you gotta know is when to say you ain't strong enough to win a fight, and I ain't strong enough to do this against a group that big. That means you probably ain't either. Let's just get you home and Boss can deal with 'em if they decide to follow."

Halis narrowed her eye sockets. "What things have you heard about me?"

"You can touch souls. It ain't surprising—you're a skeleton. Boss can do that, too, but not like Sans could. I've heard you can manipulate them the way Sans could. Like crush 'em and stuff."

She let out a giggle. "I can't do that! My dad could do that? That's so fucking cool!" Maybe she could do that? The last few training sessions with her uncle had been a bit surprising, and he'd cut them off with a strange sort of awe on his face without explaining what she'd done. Had she manipulated souls? She didn't think so.

Cornelius looked shaken. "Uh…Can you not mention that to Boss? And by that, I mean forget I ever said anything?"

"I can't forget I heard anything because that's too awesome, but I won't say anything Uncle Papyrus about where I heard it." She grinned up at him.

The bear looked mildly relieved.

"Aww, is the wittle pwincess making fwends?" an unfamiliar voice called out.

Halis tried not to turn around, but she failed. She found herself craning her neck to see over Cornelius' arm. Six lizard monsters, all varying shades of brown and yellow, walked behind them leisurely. They each held a weapon of some sort in their hands, a few of them tapping their weapon against the palm of their opposite hand.

Cornelius stopped and turned, deliberately pushing Halis back behind him. "We don't want any trouble," he said loudly.

The first lizard straightened his spine. "Oh, but we do." His mouth curved into a deadly smile.

Halis swallowed and looked down at her hands. Please, she thought, please let her magic work. She was too scared to try to grasp any of their souls, but maybe she could knock them all back and give her and Cornelius a chance to escape. She sucked in a deep breath and stepped up to the bear's side.

"Just leave us alone!" she hollered.

All six lizards laughed. "You got any clue how much your dust is worth, Princess?"

She shuddered. She knew exactly why some monsters had given her that nickname—she was Boss' niece, and so some derisively called her the Princess of Hell—but it didn't make it any less creepy.

"Worth enough to die over?" Cornelius asked, hunching down into a fighting pose.

Halis looked him over. He was scared, he'd told her as much, but he certainly didn't look it. His eyes burned with murderous intent and his lips raised to show his teeth. He was willing to try to protect her, even though he didn't think he'd survive.

The thought made her sad. No one should have to die protecting her. She should be able to protect herself, dammit! She turned and set her sights on the lead lizard. She felt a spike in her magic and her eye sockets warm just slightly as her eye lights grew bigger. She lifted her right hand, palm outward, and sent a pulse of magic to his soul.

He stumbled back a step, and everyone was quiet for a moment.

His smile grew larger, and then every lizard was laughing sardonically.

"That's _it_?!" he cried out in delight. "The daughter of the infamous Sans, and _that's_ all you can do?"

She huffed and held out her hand again. She could do better. In her last training, she'd sent a full-grown rabbit crashing against the wall. She just needed to focus.

None of the lizards were too keen on giving her that chance. As they rushed forward, a wave of panic seized her soul and she all but jumped in front of her new friend to try to protect him from their onslaught. She probably should have realized it wouldn't be any use. Huge, furry paws gripped her arms and shoved her back behind him as he fought to keep her safe. She managed to summon a few bones to attack with, and nearly shouted in joy when she landed a deadly hit on one of the lizards in the back. His dust fell, but her victory was short-lived. She still had to fight.

All too soon, Cornelius had run out of magic. He slumped down onto his knees and gave her a pathetic excuse of a smile.

"Sorry, kid," he mumbled. "I tried."

She shook her head and tried again to shove the lizards back, but none of them even wavered as they stalked forward. One of them—the leader—stepped up behind her and held her up by her backpack.

"You get to watch your friend die for you. Ain't that sweet?"

She struggled hard, kicking and smacking at anything within her reach, but nothing helped. She was stuck. She closed her eyes and put her hands over them as the lizards finished off the bear. His dust hitting the pavement would be a sound she'd never forget.

Rage like she'd never known before pulsed through her soul and over her bones. White tears fell down her face and she began to struggle anew. Her backpack was strapped to her, the buckles done up around her ribcage by habit. It was something she did so her bag couldn't be easily stolen, but now she realized she couldn't get out of it. She'd be damned if she ever did that shit again.

She screamed as she struggled, as loudly as she could. She sent bones flying in every direction, too scared and angry to focus on where the lizards actually were. She bit down hard when a scaly hand slapped over her mouth to shut her up. The lizard's magic seeped into her mouth, and she clenched her jaw shut tight as she ripped her head away, tearing off a piece of the monster's hand. She spat it out, growling and snarling before she screamed again.

She was dropped then, and she landed in a heap next to a pile of dust. She attempted to scramble away, but she was surrounded by lizards.

She realized as she screamed again, that she was going to die. She was going to leave her uncle all alone. She could just imagine him, sitting in his chair in the living room waiting for her to get home. Did he wonder where she was yet? She didn't know how long she'd been out, but some part of her was certain she should have been home by now. Her friend Caterina's house wasn't that far away.

The first weapon that came down on her hit her backpack. It didn't even hurt. She took advantage of that to turn and huddle herself under it. All too soon, she was dragged back up and the buckles at her chest were undone. She fought to keep it, but it was yanked away, nearly breaking her arm in the process. Once it was gone, she was shoved back to the ground.

"Alright, boys; let's get this over with," the lead lizard said through smiling teeth. "And remember, I get the final blow."

They acknowledged his rule and began their attack in earnest.

Halis huddled, hiding her head between her arms to try to protect her skull from the worst of their blows. She thought of her uncle and how he'd react to finding out she was dead. She cried, knowing it would probably kill him. He'd protected her for so long—thirteen years! He'd tended her wounds, kept her fed, and told her stories about her parents. She knew he'd never say it out loud, but he loved her. She loved him, too, and she'd only ever said it once. When he didn't say it back, she'd been hurt and thought that he didn't love her. But he did. He was her caretaker, and he would be ruined if she died.

She thought about her bedroom and wished so hard she could be there.

It took her a long moment to realize that she was no longer being hit. The loud shouts and hollers of her attackers were gone. She was on something soft rather than the cold, hard surface of the streets. Had she died? Was this…did monsters even go to hell? She had already been there, hadn't she? Was there a different hell? A metaphorical one where monster consciousnesses went after their bodies turned to dust?

Her eyes opened slowly, and she was met with the sight of her pillow. Confused, she sat up slowly—groaning at the pain along her spine—and looked around. Wherever she was, it was an exact replica of her bedroom.

She tried to get up and hissed violently as a shock of pain hit her arm. She looked down and swallowed thickly. The sleeve of her left sweater looked weird. There was a bump in it that sat at an unnatural angle. Carefully, oh so slowly, she picked at the sleeve until she could pull it up over her arm. Cursing softly the whole time—goddamn this hurt!—she finally revealed a very broken ulna.

She'd had broken bones before. She'd caused some of them herself after playing too roughly or even falling off fences she wasn't supposed to climb. And yet, she'd never seen her bone in two pieces. The sight made her lean over the side of her bed and vomit.

Well, heave. Nothing came up.

She heaved a few more times before she felt like she could handle her own magic. She sat on the edge of her bed and contemplated a few things. If she was dead, would she be in this much pain? She sure as hell hoped not. That would probably mean she'd be in that pain forever. Dead things didn't heal. She knew that much from the human corpses she'd played with.

Okay, so if she wasn't dead, then what had happened? How did she get home? Did she black out and somehow the lizards decided to bring her home instead of finishing her off? She almost laughed at that prospect. There was no way the lizards would give up. They were bent on getting her dust and whatever gold they would earn from it.

Had someone saved her? Maybe her uncle had come looking for her and found her in the nick of time?

Any scenario she dreamt up still didn't explain how one second, she was one the ground and the next, she was in her bed. It felt as if no time at all had passed.

She stood up on shaky legs and winced at the pain in her back as she took a few steps. If her uncle had found her, he would have healed her before letting her lay down. Especially with an ulna in two pieces. The thought nearly made her throw up again, but she held it in.

With a breath that hurt her ribcage, she tried to use her magic to open her door. Strange. Nothing happened. Her soul felt weak, as if it didn't have enough magic to do what she wanted it to do. She furrowed her brow bones and tried to ignore the tight pain in her face as she did. Cradling her broken arm against her chest, she reached out with her right hand and opened the door. She sighed again. It wasn't locked, and it should have opened with her magic.

"Uncle Papyrus?" she called out, stepping out into the hall. She felt like shit warmed over.

"HALIS? HOW DID YOU GET UP THERE?" Boss called from the bottom of the stairs. "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO GET HOME. WHY DID YOU SNEAK PAST ME?"

She put her right hand on the banister at the top of the stairs and thought about trying to take the first step down. Just the idea of hit hurt her back. "I don't know."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON—WHAT HAPPENED?" He stopped mid-step, and his face went from slightly-annoyed-uncle to concerned-uncle to thoroughly-pissed-off-ruler-of-hell. "WHO HURT YOU?" he growled.

The pain of just standing was getting to be too much. She wanted to lay down. She regretted getting out of her bed. "Lizards. It hurts so bad." She looked at him, her vision barely able to focus. Her right hand left the banister and went to her left wrist. She made an attempt at pulling up her sleeve, but it caught the broken ulna. She nearly screamed. "It's broken," she sobbed.

Boss was at the top of the steps almost immediately. After realizing that she had not tried to sneak past him, but that something far more sinister had happened, he went into Uncle mode. He scooped her up, careful to mind her wounds, and carried her back to her bed. He laid her down gently and began to heal her.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Papyrus," she cried. "I was so stupid! I…I shouldn't have…" Her thoughts went to Cornelius, and she broke out into a full sob.

"HUSH NOW. LET ME FIX YOU, AND THEN YOU'LL TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. YOU WILL SPARE NO DETAILS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

She nodded. "Yes, Uncle."

He nodded curtly and turned his attention back to her wounds. Instead of trying to pull the sleeve of her shirt back, he cut it off at the elbow. She tried to protest, but he needed only send her a scowl and she stopped. He sighed as he saw what had happened to her ulna.

"I'M AFRAID THIS IS GOING TO HURT," he warned. "I NEED TO SET THE BONE BEFORE I CAN MEND IT." He looked around briefly before he shook his head. "I HAVE NOTHING FOR YOU TO BITE ON. I'M TRULY SORRY FOR THIS, HALIS."

She swallowed thickly, new tears of anticipated pain falling from the corners of her eye sockets, and nodded. "It's okay, Uncle. I can handle it."

He smirked, but it was sad. He placed his hand over the bone and hesitated only a moment before snapping it back into place. Her answering scream brought tears to his eyes. Still holding the bone in place, he pulsed healing magic into her. He could feel her magic responding, rebuilding the bone and bridging the gap of the break. It took longer than a normal monster break would take to heal, but soon enough it was healed.

"ARE YOU INJURED ANYWHERE ELSE?"

She performed a mental assessment of her body, starting at her feet and working her way up her legs, pelvis, spine, ribs, arms, neck, and skull. The sharp pain was gone, but somehow, she felt a faint echo lingering there.

"No, but…should I still feel some of the ones you've already healed?" She still cradled her arm, a little afraid to move it properly.

Boss nodded. "YES, THAT'S NORMAL. IT'S A SORT OF MENTAL PAIN—AN ECHO, IF YOU WILL. IT'LL GO AWAY SOON ENOUGH."

He stood up and held out his hand. Halis took it and used the support to ease herself off the bed. She followed him down the stairs to the living room. She sat in her chair while he made tea and thought about how she was going to explain what had happened.

Boss came back with two mugs and handed one of them to her. She relished the warmth and lifted the cup to inhale the tea's scent. It was the same flowery tea that he always made when she was hurt. It reminded her of comfort and safety. She took a small sip before looking at her uncle. He was eyeing her carefully.

"NOW TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED."

She nodded and began.

Boss was quiet as he listened to his niece recount the incident. He made a mental note to reach out to Cornelius' family. The bears had always been in his good graces, and they deserved to know that their relative died an honorable death. He made a separate note to identify and locate each remaining lizard. He knew who they were as well as the monster who wanted Halis' dust. He'd have to go after them as well to make sure shit like this didn't happen again.

"I don't know how I got home," she said, her voice tiny. "I was so scared, Uncle. I thought of you and how hurt you would be if I died, and I just wanted to be here. Then, suddenly, I was here."

Boss smiled. "YOU TELEPORTED."

She looked up, confused. "But I've been trying to do that, and I can't."

"MAGIC IS STRANGE SOMETIMES, HALIS. YOUR DAD WAS ALREADY ABLE TO TELEPORT BY THE TIME I WAS BORN. IT WAS AN ABILITY PASSED DOWN FROM OUR FATHER, ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO. YOU ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF HAVING INHERITED A LOT OF YOUR DAD'S MAGIC, BUT I WILL ASSUME THAT HAVING YOUR MOTHER'S HUMANNESS, IT WILL BE HARDER TO CONTROL IT."

"So it happened because I was panicked?"

"ESSENTIALLY, YES. WE'LL WORK ON IT, AND YOU WILL GET BETTER AT IT."

She nodded. "Thank you. For everything, Uncle. I know I owe my life to you." In so many ways, she thought.

Boss wasn't sure how to respond to that. He was quiet for a moment before he set his cup down on the table next to his chair. "COME HERE." He held out his arms.

Halis smiled brightly and got up. She set her cup next to his and climbed into his lap. His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug.

"YOUR MOTHER WAS A SUCKER FOR HUGS," he said softly. "THEY MADE HER FEEL BETTER, I GUESS. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT YOU INHERITED THAT FROM HER."

She heard herself giggle as she snuggled a little closer. Her uncle gave the best hugs, and despite his assurances that he hated them and they were a waste of time, she felt like he got something out of them as well.

Boss allowed himself to relax and accept the comfort Halis' small form gave him. She was safe, and she was showing signs of having strong magic like him and her dad. She'd be okay. They were certainly going to increase her training as soon as possible. She needed to learn how to use that magic under pressure.

* * *

 **LOSE THE STRIPES, GAIN A JACKET**

Halis stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung on her closet door and grinned widely. Today was the day. The most important day of her life. Excitement buzzed in her soul and over every bone in her body as she carefully grazed her eyes over her reflection.

The outfit had been sitting on her chair when she woke up. She could hardly believe she was finally able to wear this!

The skirt was modest and ended at her knees. It was black and made of a thick, soft material that almost reminded her of velvet. She wore no leggings or stockings under it; her legs would be bare from the knee down for the first time in her life. Well, in public anyway. Her shoes were simple black flats.

She was most excited about the top. It was a simple green t-shirt with a scoop neckline, but it was solid. No stripes!

She nearly squealed in delight. Again.

She sported a new scarf, this one made out of the same material her old one had been, only it was a golden yellow. Her old scarf was tucked safely in her drawer of special memories and would be until the fabric itself disintegrated.

She twirled and marveled at how the skirt felt against her femurs. With another pulse of exhilaration in her soul, she nearly tore open her bedroom door and skipped down the stairs.

"Good morning, Uncle!" she sang, her voice loud and cheerful. She stopped at the doorway to the kitchen and beamed brightly at him as he flipped a pancake.

He glanced at her, giving her a small smile. "GOOD MORNING, HALIS. I'M GLAD YOU FOUND THE CLOTHES I LEFT FOR YOU."

Sneaking into her room to leave her birthday clothes on her chair had been awkward, but he knew she'd much rather wear that than suffer through even an hour of stripes until she could open a present. And, seeing the smile on her face had been worth it.

She squealed and rushed forward to hug him tightly. "Yes, of course I did. I can't believe it! I'm…I'm an adult!"

"YES, NOW YOU CAN GET A JOB AND PAY RENT."

She snorted. "I have a job." Then she pulled back and looked up at him. "Don't I? You said I could start working with you when I was out of stripes."

Boss nudged her out of the way to put the finished pancake on a small stack of already-made ones. He gestured toward them as if to tell her to get a plate and eat.

"I SUPPOSE I DID SAY THAT. WITH YOU KNACK FOR DISSECTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN PAIN TOLERANCES, YOU WILL BE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO MY TEAM. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL JUST JUMP IN AND BEGIN WORK TODAY. YOU WILL NEED TRAINING."

Halis nodded as she pulled a few pancakes on to her plate. "I understand, Uncle. I'm ready to start whenever you want me to."

"THEN FOR TODAY YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND YOU CAN COME IN TO THE FACILITY WITH ME TOMORROW."

She let out a small squeal and took her plate to the table. Boss followed her with his own plate.

"THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I NEED TO DISCUSS WITH YOU," he said, his face a little too serious for Halis' liking.

"Okay?"

"LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. IT'S CUSTOMARY FOR A MONSTER TO MOVE OUT WHEN THEY GROW OUT OF STRIPES. HOWEVER, GIVEN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, I AM WILLING TO ALLOW YOU TO STAY HERE UNTIL YOU FIND AN APPROPRIATE PLACE OF YOUR OWN."

She nodded again. "I think I'll take you up on that offer. Catherina was talking to me about maybe pooling our income to get a place together. She's gonna be out of stripes in another month, and her family can't afford to keep her in the house…"

As Halis spoke, Boss half listened as his mind began to wander. A part of him was surprised that Halis had actually made it to adulthood. And yet, he reminded himself, this was only her first day as an adult. He worried that monsters would take her lack of stripes as an open invitation to attack her. And, as much as he really didn't want to think about it, there were now new ways in which she could be attacked. He really wanted to keep her in his home to add whatever layers of protection he could, but that was unrealistic. He needed to let her live her own life.

But what if her life was cut short? What if she moved out and her roommate or neighbor or even someone just tracking her down hurt her?

He shook himself out of those thoughts and returned his attention to what she was saying. He'd missed something, but it didn't appear to be important. She continued to rattle on about her friends and their plans for the upcoming year.

After breakfast, Halis wanted to go see her friends. Birthday parties weren't a thing in her world, but she'd read about them as she learned all she could about humans. She'd wanted to hold one, but Boss wouldn't let her. It was too big of a target, he said. There were too many opportunities for someone to either sneak in or plan a large attack. So, instead, Halis was going to go visit her friends.

"NOT YET," Boss called out. "I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU."

She stopped by the front door and gave him a quizzical look. "I thought the outfit was my present."

Boss nodded. "Yes, it was, but this one is…different. Consider it a present from your dad."

Ooh. She turned immediately, thoughts of visiting her friends abandoned. "He left something for me?" She knew how her dad felt about her. Her uncle didn't try to keep it a secret. She knew all about her violent birth and how neither her dad nor her mom had ever held her. While a part of her was sad about that, another part of her was just grateful that her uncle had agreed to raise her. After all, she hadn't asked to be born, but she was happy to be alive.

"NOT EXACTLY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT MEANT A LOT TO HIM. I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THIS FOR A FEW YEARS. I KNOW HOW HE WOULD FEEL IF HE KNEW I WAS GIVING THIS TO YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I FEEL LIKE HE WOULD APPROVE IF HE KNEW THE KIND OF WOMAN YOU'VE GROWN TO BE."

Boss almost chuckled. Sans would be livid, but the bastard wasn't here, was he? No. Boss wouldn't consider it revenge or a spite gift. In fact, he really didn't care about Sans' hypothetical feelings on the matter. This was about Halis, and she deserved this.

She nodded. "Okay."

She watched as her uncle produced a box and handed it to her. It was wrapped haphazardly in some kind of thin paper with a puppy design on it. It was cute. She tore the paper away to reveal a plain white box. She looked at her uncle for a moment before taking it to the coffee table. She set it down and carefully lifted the lid.

Inside was a mass of black fabric. She touched it gently. It was rough yet soft at the same time. She lifted it to discover it was a jacket. The same jacket he'd been wearing in the picture she had safely tucked away in her drawer.

She stood, holding the jacket out at arm's length, and felt tears gathering in her eye sockets. She had bits and pieces of things that had belonged to her parents, but until now the only thing that would have had any kind of meaning was her dad's gold tooth. But this…he had worn this. Her mother had touched it, probably even worn it herself a few times. From how her uncle had spoken of them, it was a huge part of who her dad was.

She hugged the jacket close to her chest and nearly sobbed. Without a word, she slipped it on. It nearly drowned her! She knew her dad was a big skeleton, but this really put things in perspective. The sleeves hung off the ends of her phalanges a good six inches and the bottom hung down to her knees. She wasn't fully done growing yet, so maybe it wouldn't look so huge in a few years. She sniffled and pulled at the sleeves until her fingertips came through. Then she zipped up the jacket and snuggled into it.

She still said nothing as she walked up to her uncle and threw her arms around his chest. He hugged her tightly.

It was an odd thing, seeing Halis in his brother's beloved jacket. That piece of fabric had meant so much to his brother, although he never could quite figure out why. He supposed it didn't matter. Seeing Halis' reaction to receiving it was worth every single moment of indecision he'd had over the years as he had contemplated getting rid of it. He was happy now that he'd kept it. She truly deserved to keep it.

"HE WORE THIS THING EVERYWHERE," Boss said, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady. "HE KILLED IN IT. HE PROBABLY SLEPT IN IT. HAD HE EVER GONE SWIMMING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THIS JACKET."

Halis felt her mouth turn up at the corners. "I love you, Uncle Papyrus. Thank you for this gift."

"YOU'RE MOST WELCOME. TREAT IT WELL." The words came out as more of a threat than he'd intended them to be. He cleared his throat and decided to let her think the jacket meant more to him than it did. Yes, it had belonged to his brother, but being sentimental over it hadn't brought his brother back and it wasn't ever going to do so. Still, it was nice to see his niece this happy.

"Of course I will."

She spent some time debating over whether or not she would go see her friends in the jacket, but ultimately decided not to. It was too big! That, and a passing remark her uncle made sealed the deal. He'd mentioned that other monsters would know immediately who the jacket had belonged to. She'd had enough run-ins with monsters who wanted to hurt her, and she knew she'd be hurt if anything happened to her now-favorite piece of clothing.

So instead, she reverently hung it in her closet for another day and went out to see her friends.

* * *

 **FIRST INTERROGATION**

She grinned, attempting to still her shaking fingers, and her bones rattled with how excited she was.

The human on the table in front of her? Not so excited.

She bounced on the balls of her feet, glancing at Boss every few seconds, just waiting to be given the signal that she could start.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME, HALIS?" he asked, exasperated.

She nodded. "Of course I am, Uncle! Don't cut anything vital, ask questions that he can answer with only a few words, and don't let him bleed out." She nodded succinctly; she had memorized those rules almost a week ago. "Oh, and heal him if needed, but don't heal all the way because…because why?" She scrunched her nasal ridge and glanced at her uncle.

Boss sighed. "IMAGINE IF YOU WERE BEING TORTURED, AND SOME IDIOT HEALED YOUR WOUNDS ENTIRELY. WHAT MIGHT THAT DO?"

She thought about it for a second. She really didn't want to put herself in that scenario—she'd been tortured before and it wasn't pleasant. However, if she were in that situation and suddenly healed, she'd fight back.

"Oh, okay. Even though humans are relatively weak, he could think he's strong enough to fight me if I heal him all the way."

Boss nodded proudly. "GOOD GIRL."

She grinned brightly.

"YOU MAY BEGIN."

Her squeal of delight overshadowed the human's whimper. She cleared her throat and put on her best business face before stepping up beside the human's head.

"First things' first, human," she said, her voice far too cheery for the scene, "I'm going to ask you questions, and you're going to answer me. If I think you're lying to me, you will be punished. Do you understand?"

The man nodded. He attempted to speak, but the gag in his mouth muffled the words.

Halis glanced up at Boss, and he nodded. She removed the gag from the human's mouth so he could be understood.

"What the fuck is going on? Who are you and what do you want?"

She sighed. "You indicated that you understood, but you clearly don't. I'm the one that asks the questions, not you. Clear?"

With another whimper, the man nodded.

"Good! My name is Halis, and this is my boss. He's actually called Boss, too. Cool, huh? We're monsters, and you're in hell. Now, can you think of any reason you might be here? Any reason at all?" She raised a brow bone and stared into his watery eyes.

The man squirmed uncomfortably as Halis' white eye lights stayed trained on his eyes. It was so fucking creepy! Living fucking skeletons with sharp teeth and fucking claws!

"I have no fucking clue!"

Halis quirked her mouth. "You're lying." She glanced up at Boss, and again he nodded. The man whimpered.

Halis took a second to calm her overexcited nerves before gently pushing a claw into his shoulder. He screamed, and she nearly jumped back. Instead, she pushed forward until she felt bone. She watched as blood poured from the wound onto the table. She wasn't used to bodies squirming under her exploration, and the sounds he made was distracting.

Still, nothing could take away from the pure curiosity of feeling his joint move under her touch. The way the cartilage kept bone from scraping against bone fascinated her. And he was so warm! She could feel his blood pumping through his veins, harder and faster as he panicked.

"You're here because you and two others raped a child. How old was he? Four? Maybe five? His monster reported his injuries, and we were able to track you down because you kept a pair of his fucking underwear."

Boss cleared his throat, and Halis looked up at him. "THE CHILD WAS A GIRL."

"Oh." She grimaced and looked back down at the human's paling face. "I mean, it doesn't really matter to me, but what the fuck? Was she wearing something provocative? Maybe showing too much shoulder?" She dug her finger deeper, thrusting her claw into the cartilage of his shoulder. She heard a satisfying 'pop' as the humeral head broke free of its socket.

The human's answering scream was beautiful.

"I want names. Tell me who else was with you that night."

The man shook his head, panting and crying. "I don't know!"

Boss and Halis both snorted. She pulled her finger free of his shoulder and healed it just enough that he wouldn't bleed too much.

"You're lying again," she all but sang. "You know what I've really been interested in seeing, Uncle?" She brought her hands together and tapped her distal phalanges against each other in anticipation. She didn't wait for a response; her uncle was usually far more professional than that. "I want to see how living muscle reacts when it's pulled away from bone."

"Okay! I'm lying! I'm sorry, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

She looked up at Boss and pouted when he shook his head. She sighed.

"Fine. I need names and locations; where can I find these bastards?"

A half an hour later, and the human was put in a cell to wait for the people he'd named to be brought in. He'd have to identify them before he could be killed.

"YOU DID WELL, HALIS," Boss praised. "NOT BAD FOR YOUR FIRST TIME."

Halis beamed. "Thank you, Uncle!" She looked at her hands and frowned a little at the blood still on her fingers. "Can I go clean up now?"

He nodded, and she turned to leave. The downside to working on a living human, she discovered, was their propensity for bleeding everywhere. She'd have to figure out a way to keep her clothes clean while she worked.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Remember to come visit my Tumblr and let me know if you want to see Halis in other situations/scenarios.


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